


Being Human Or Sort Of (Hellfire)

by writingcreature



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst and Humor, Banter, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sexual Content, Slash, Werewolf Steve McGarrett, Witches, mcdanno
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-05-13 18:36:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5712865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingcreature/pseuds/writingcreature
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Put H50 into a supernatural world full of supernatural crimes. Of course, all the team members have abilities of their own. Except Danny. What doesn't mean he's completely helpless among creatures of the night. When the shit hits the fan, and something ancient and very evil is about to rise, Steve and his teammates are the last strongholds between mankind and the Apocalypse. Follow me on a rollercoaster ride of the otherworldly kind. My promise: You won't regret it ... hopefully.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Intro - Once upon a time there was ...

 

Steve McGarrett – H50’s Leader of the “Pack” \- Human with a big gulp of a werewolf in his blood system. His mother was bitten by a foreign agent who tried to kill her before she delivered little Steve. Though Steve hadn’t ever turned entirely into wolf form, he felt the beast close to the surface and could use all the powers. It was very helpful and dangerous at the same time. Steve had to do some very hard training to keep his temper under control. Did it work out? Yeah, sort of … 

Advices on how to deal with his issue hadn't been welcomed too much. He’d been driving his teammates mad by constantly putting his life on the line during secret undercover missions. Not to forget Steve was still the primary target of some filthy, greedy hunters. 

\----------

 

Chin Ho Kelly – dedicated detective of H50. He’d be numerous arrests on his account, knew how to deal with the Yakuza and loved riding his Harley. After the death of his beloved wife, he’d turned a little more to the dark side. He got involved with some really bad asses and died. No, not as we know about dying. Chin had to learn the hard way that there’s more between heaven and hell. He got bitten by the Master of a Hawaiian coven. Before he could turn Chin into one of his followers, Steve put an end to the creature’s life by ripping its heart out. Don’t mess with friends of Steve. You might yourself find in a body bag in the morgue or vanish under mysterious circumstances at the end of the day. 

It wasn't the end of the story. The Master's power and Chin’s anger turned him into a dhampire. He’d come all of a vampire's powers and none of their weaknesses, a watered-down version of human and vampire, if you like to put it that way. He’s uncomfortable with sunlight but put a stake through his heart, and he’d be dead meat. Being a dhampire also meant to keep his constant craving for blood under control. As soon as Chin drank from a living human being he would turn into a vampire once and for all. It put a lot of stress on him. He was no longer the friendly, helpful cop from your neighborhood.   

 ----------

Kono Kalakaua – one of Hawaii’s most powerful witches. She’d do everything for her friends. Even put her life at risk by performing rituals of any kind of magic. She’s supposed to be a “white witch,” something, which can be very frustrating at times. Opponents didn’t always play by the rules and so did she, one day. It’d turned into a disaster. She was expelled from her coven in a small village at one of the islands. Fortunately, she could cover her tracks before they could bind her magic.   

\----------

Daniel (Danny) Williams – Seargent and Steve’s play… Uhm soul mate. He is human from head to toe and usually not interested in all this supernatural crap. Danny had his troubles with Chin since he almost had a sexual encounter with the man, who once looked him way too deep into the gorgeous blue eyes and turned him into a submissive sex slave. Hey, it was Chin’s fault. He’d still no control over his powers and so shit happened. 

It was Kono that saved Jersey’s sassy little ass with some magic. Nonetheless, Steve’s wolf instincts took over. He went claw to teeth with Chin. The outcome was nasty, but both healed pretty well. After the fight, Danny couldn’t help but run around with a big fat silly grin on his face for about a week or so. He’d been very proud of his hybrid soul mate.   

 

\----------

With the voice of this Law & Order guy from the telly: In the criminal-justice system, supernatural crimes are considered very dangerous and should be dealt with in secret. 

In Hawaii, the dedicated detectives who investigate these superstitious felonies are members of an elite squad known as H50. These are their stories.   

 


	2. Chapter 2

Every day is a good day to die! At least, that was what Steve McGarrett told himself mantra like while he was waiting for his teammates. A glimpse at his mobile told him that he was running out of time. He couldn't wait any longer. Thoughtfully, Steve scratched the back of his head. With a loud sigh, he made his way into the abandoned factory building. 

What could happen to him in this godforsaken place, in the middle of the night? According to his vision, he was going to die tonight, but he learned one thing about them. They didn't always come true. They were no self-fulfilling prophecies; they could always change, though the chances for that were pretty small. He clasped his gun with his right hand. The weapon should have provided him with some safety. It didn't work because he wasn't here to hunt down the 'usual suspect'. He was looking for a monster. A real one. Steve's job was as unusual as his abilities. A smile curled his lips as he crossed the threshold of the former industrial plant. The hair on the nape of his neck stood on end. And he was sure about the fact that if he were going to die, his death wouldn't be in vain. 

At the same time, the howling sounds of high tuned engines filled the air some miles away from Steve's 'horror show'. An illustrious crowd gathered to start another street race. In the midst of it, there were some undercover cops, including Chin, Danny, and Kono. The Governor himself had requested H50 grudgingly, after all, investigations had led nowhere. 

Among the winners of these races, a mysterious series of deaths occurred. Just a few weeks after the race, they had kicked the bucket by accidents at home or work. H50's interest was aroused immediately. Of course, first they had to separate the wheat from the chaff as the media, as usual, had blown things out of proportion. So they had started their investigations, determined to put enough evidence together to make this their case. Before they could finish the work, the Governor came knocking. He wanted to stop the media hype. Some gory details were leaked. 

'Ghostrider Kills Off Andrea Sutton' Did the beauty find the beast at the end of the race track? Find out more about the race queen's mysterious death. 

The Governor looked disgusted as he threw the newspaper on Steve's table. 

"Young man, you know that I'm not a friend of all that supernatural stuff, but I've been in this job long enough to know that there's more between Heaven and Hell than just air." 

It was the beginning of H50's mission. They had faked Chin's back story so he could get into the scene, all he had to do was to drive. Now it was just minutes before his final race. 

The reason the entire team missed Steve calls and messages, was the sound of the engines competing with the bass booming from the speakers and the enthusiastic cheering and storms of applause during and after all the races. 

Seriously, Chin wouldn't have been such a hell of a driver. Of course, he could easily cope with some of the drivers not so with the elite. It was the damphire in him that made him capable of learning things easy and doing things he'd never done before. He could feel the inhuman strength, all his senses sharp as a razor. These abilities and a bit of Kono's magic turned him into a first class race driver. Chin dropped behind the wheel of a Dodge Viper GTS and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, they glowed in dark orange. 

Amused he took a glance in the rear-view mirror and winked. 

"Let the games begin." 

Even his voice was different, now. It changed into a deep dark growl. Still grinning, he extended his neck muscles until they cracked. 

Then he turned his full attention to the half-naked beauty that stood between him and his competitors. Slowly, the yellow silk handkerchief slid to the ground. 

Desperately, Steve tried to reach one of his teammates. All calls went to voice mail. 

"Well, whatever you're doing. I hope you have fun, guys." He took a deep breath. 

The way to the crime scene turned out to be tricky. It required some of his abilities to surpass all the obstacles that crop up throughout the way. Unfortunately, levitating wasn't one of them. Lots of debris, sharp, rusted edges of metal, concrete blocks and other unidentified stuff littered the floor. He might be lucky if he died breaking his neck before he completed his mission if not, his vision had told him otherwise. His death would be a long and painful one. 

A rusty staircase led steeply down into the innards of the old building complex, brought him much closer to his goal. If everything went according to plan, he would put an end to this cruelty, and every Hawaiian could sleep peaceful, again. Of course, none of them would ever find out the truth about what had happened during this dark and cold night. 

As Steve turned around the corner, he was shocked for the fraction of a second. Although it had been part of his vision, he wasn't prepared to see that young woman's bruised and battered body. The air was filled with the metallic stench of blood and other unpleasant smells. He didn't need to be a doctor to tell he was too late. 

One thing was different from all the other crime scenes: this time, the victim was dead for just about two hours. The blood didn't even dry. So he could start with a ritual he had vowed never to perform alone. His teammates would be royally pissed off. He could almost hear them. Especially Danny, who would call him names, ban him from the sleeping room, and more. Steve smirked. 

"Forgive me, dear friends." 

He was more than sure that each of them would come to rescue him. He couldn't tell why. He simply knew it. 

Steve put his gun aside and started to undress while reciting verses in a long-forgotten language. The longer he spoke, the more he felt the presence of the dead girl. Her soul was still here. He had great difficulty in fighting the unbearable pain and horror that suddenly took hold of him. Then he dropped to his knees and plunged his hands into the sticky blood. He felt like being dragged into a black abyss. Seconds later, the air was torn apart by an inhuman roar. 

Of course, Chin was the first who crossed the finishing line. And when he did, 'Ghost Rider' was already expecting him. He and Kono could feel the presence, rather than seeing him. That was the reason Chin didn't care about the victory celebration. He just took the cash and left the VIP area. Outside, he closed his eyes, tried to focus. The presence was much stronger now. 

Chin started moving through the crowd with panther-like grace. The black racing suit emphasized this even more. Danny joined him two minutes later. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" Chin snapped. 

"Simply following Steve's orders. I keep an eye on you." 

Chin shook his head and passed a bunch of people. 

One of the girls almost choked at her lemonade, another one toppled over with her chair. Though Chin was struggling to keep the damphire under control, he couldn't help grinning from one ear to the other. Danny followed suit. 

"What?" Chin growled. 

"Oh, nothing, your effect on women is simply amazing," Danny said. 

"Why can't you just take a leap, let me do my thing, so I take one of these chicks home with me." Chin mused. 

"Of course, what else ... Only trouble is, Kono and I would have been taking care of disposing of a body later. Then I would have to put a stake through your heart because you've turned into a full bad-ass vampire, and that's not how I want to spend Friday night." 

"You're such a spoilsport. Are you considering me capable of such cruelty?" Chin pouted. 

"The human Chin I knew ... I would say no, but damphire Chin ... I don't have to recall what had happened to me after you took a too deep look in my eyes. I was told you turned me into a willingless sex slave. And that was just me. I mean, I never had a thing for you. I mean; I'm with Steve and ... well yes." Danny's face turned crimson red. 

Chin made a dismissive gesture. "Whatever." 

"Of course, you would call it collateral damage because you got the girl in the end." 

Danny couldn't stop babbling. 

"Her apartment would be a bloody mess. You would vanish into the night, and the rest of the team would have to hunt you down. Steve would have to kill you. What would put an enormous weight on his shoulder? He had to deal with the Governor ..." 

All of a sudden, an athame appeared in Chin's right hand. Nothing magical about that, he'd hidden it in the custom build sleeve. 

Danny jumped a step to the left. "WHOA, wait. No need to go Alan Bates on me." 

Chin ignored his partner's worries. 

"You see the guy in the jazzy yellow shirt? Right behind him on the left is our Grim-Reaper." 

Danny narrowed his eyes. "No?!" 

"Sorry I forgot; you're human. The spell Kono's put on you only works in my close range." 

It was the reason Danny could see the athame. Usually, it was a cursed object. Invisible to human's eyes. So it looked kind of funny when Chin took the concealed Grim-Reaper by surprise and by the collar with one hand to bury the concealed athame deep into the creature's heart. 

Just in this very moment, Chin realized the strange looks of the people around him. 

Seconds later, Danny showed up. 

"Holy shit, Chin! Time to switch to decaf, dude!" he exclaimed while dragging him away. 

"You make me look like an idiot," Chin complained. 

Danny raised his brows. "Are you serious? Before you completely shit a brick, think about that: who was wielding a concealed knife at a concealed guy?" 

Kono took hold of Chin's already raised hand. 

"Guys, stop it! Steve's in big trouble." 

First, two pairs of eyes glared at her. Then the looks turned into worried. 

"What happened?" Danny demanded. 

Kono struggled for composure. "I ... I can't tell you what's going on. It's my gut. It tells me something is on its way. I don't know what but it's quite old and beyond evil. Honestly, it scares the shit out of me, guys." 

"Fuck, I knew it." Chin blurted out. "We've got to go." 

On the way to their cars, Chin speed dialed the Governor. He put him up to speed and promised a full report within the next few days. 

Kono sensed that something was off with Chin, so she asked him to let her drive. Danny already left the parking lot. 

After what felt like forever, they arrived on the scene. 

They were about to duck under the yellow tape when a young, eager uniform stopped them. 

"Where do you think; you're going, Sir, Ma'am? That is a crime scene." 

They flashed their badges. 

The uniform shook his head. "Aren't you guys kind of out of your jurisdiction? Do you think you can waltz in here and take over? Leave, or ..." 

"Or what?" 

"Or I've got to put you into custody." Determined, he blocked Chin's way, putting his hand on the holster. 

Great! Now the damphire was creeping to the surface. 

One more try. "Who's your boss?" 

"Sir, go back from wherever you came from. Our holding cells aren't very comfortable." 

Chin's eyes started to glow. "GET.OUT.OF.MY.WAY!" 

His hands balled into fists. He was five nanoseconds away of ripping the guy's throat out. 

"Hey, Kiddo! Stop fooling around and let the detectives Kelly and Kalakaua pass," a voice came from behind. 

"But, Sir ...." 

"Saved not by the bell but by my colleague Danny Williams," Chin hollered out, and he and Kono ducked under the tape. 

"Sir..." the uniform demanded. 

"Help Officer Franklin, he's canvassing the area. I've talked to your boss." 

The young man didn't move. 

"Now, go!" 

When he was out of earshot. Danny's face darkened. 

"Kono was right. There's some really big shit going on. I have absolutely no clue what Steve did, but chaos reigns. Half of the city has turned into a bubbling caldron. Violence is exploding at almost every corner." 

Kono swallowed. "I couldn't see him. He must've gone inside. He wasn't supposed to ..." 

"But he did, and now we've to deal with the consequences. That damned race. My voice mail was brimming with Steve's messages. Bet if you check yours, it'll be the same." 

"What have you been told so far?" Chin wanted to know. "You've talked to the kid's boss?" 

"I lied," Danny deadpanned. "All I know is hearsay from the other cops." He brought them up to speed. 

There was an illegal party. Too much alcohol, too much ecstasy. Some witnesses were saying it started with an earthquake. Unfortunately, all of them were either drunk or on drugs then a fire broke out in several places. 

"Okay, so there were an earthquake and fire and after that what?" Chin pushed further. 

"Most of the party people escaped. A girl in her twenties had been left behind and was brutally murdered. They said they had seen a lot in the past but this ...this must've been ..." Danny shuddered. 

"Okay, now tell us where Steve is?" 

Danny swallowed, "he's been found in the basement, together with the victim. The ... the ceiling collapsed." 

Chin and Kono started to move. When Danny didn't follow, they stopped short. 

"What you're waiting for? We have to help him, come on." 

"He's not there. They've put him in the morgue." 

Kono's face drained of all the color. 

"In the ... WHERE? Why the hell is Steve in the morgue? We agreed no matter what; he had to stay on the scene!" her voice cracked. 

Danny swallowed, "Lafayette was responsible. You know him ..." 

"Lafayette, you ASSHOLE. Where are you?" Chin hollered out. 

A man stepped out from the shadows. 

"Is there a problem, guys?" Lafayette's voice dripped with sarcasm. 

"What the hell you think you're doing. You're a member of the inner circle. You know what this is all about." Danny's breath came in short rasps. 

Kono stepped between the two detectives. 

"Stop measuring your dicks! Lafayette didn't do it on purpose." 

"Didn't I?" 

"SHUT.THE.FUCK.UP. You don't want to go there, Lafayette, not now." 

Danny yelled then turned to Chin. 

"We've got to go. Steve needs us." 

"And what if it's too late?" Chin's eyes were glowing in the dark. 

"GO!"Danny pushed him toward the yellow tape. "GO, dammit!" 

Chin pointed at Lafayette. "One day, in a dark lonesome alley..." 

The guy gave him the finger. "It's all your fault, H50. If you're looking too long into the abyss, the abyss will look back at you." 

Not all people of the inner circle liked what H50 did. They tried to sabotage their work whenever they could. 

The three of them didn't hear Lafayette's crazy laughter. They were straight on the way to the morgue. Hopefully, it wasn't too late to save Steve's life.   


	3. One week earlier at H50's headquarter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [](http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&img=i253bd1f01)   
> 

Steve knew Kono was about to enter his office before she was even knocking. 

"Come in." 

The worried look on her face spoke volumes. Kono wasn't easy to scare. She'd been through a lot in the past. In another life. The memories were still haunting her. 

He pointed to the empty chair. 

"Please have a seat." 

She nodded briefly, sat down and got straight to the point. 

"I know we had this conversation earlier a few months ago. You told me to keep an eye on the veil". 

The veil concealed all supernatural creatures and activities from the human world which was full of power-mad leaders, already. There was no need to spice things up with evil creatures coming straight out of hell. 

"It's thinning," Steve deadpanned. "I can sense it. I have no clue what's going on. Do you?" 

Kono swallowed. 

"Unfortunately, I do. Someone is killing off the veil's guardians. I've counted at least five deaths related to it. The Strange thing is, nobody misses them. It's like they've never existed." 

Steve furrowed his brows. "What about the bodies?" 

"I've tried a location spell but ended up nowhere. I think whoever's behind it must have a lot of magic juice running through the veins. That is nothing you could learn. I've never met anyone or anything as powerful in my entire life." 

"Shit. Time travel could be a reason or someone who's altering reality," Steve mumbled. 

"No, all these actions would leave a magical trail I could follow easily. It's like the Guardians vanish from the surface of the earth." 

Thoughtfully, he ran his fingers through his hair. 

Kono watched him close. Steve looked tired and worn out. 

"When was the last time you had a good night sleep?" 

Steve looked at her reproachfully. 

"You sound like my mother. I'm all right. I don't need much sleep." 

"I could easily manipulate you into telling me the truth. I'd prefer you talk to me here and now." 

"Kono ..." 

"Steve, I ... we depend on your strength. Chin isn't himself. He's still dealing with the aftermath of ... you know. And Danny is human. He's the weakest link. You've to take care of him. Whatever is out there, is looking for big trouble. We have to be aware that we are fighting against time. We have to make the next move. I don't want to wait too long or until it or he or she comes knocking." 

Sighing he reached into the desk drawer and put a timeworn looking book on the table. 

"Believe it or not, I was doing some research as well." 

Even his voice sounded tired. 

Kono realized, that Steve's desk was buried under piles of paper. She got up to take a closer look. What she saw didn't lift her spirit at all. 

"Okay, you should talk to me, Steve McGarrett," She stated after a couple of minutes of silence. 

"Considering the Grimoire and some of these notes ... you're working on a blood magic spell. Have you any idea about the consequences? Steve, you could die. You might have the strength of a werewolf; you might know a lot about being a necromancer, but all this can't you prevent from dying. You're NOT IMMORTAL!" 

"I know what I'm doing," Steve stated. 

"What if we locate some of the bodies? You could try to talk to their ghosts like you did in the case with the body shifter." Kono suggested. 

Steve shook his head. 

"You already mentioned it. The victims seem to vanish from the surface of the earth. Two possibilities: someone is altering reality. Few minutes ago, you ruled that one out. The other possibility would be to take them into another dimension to a world in between." 

"You mean like Purgatory or Dreamtime?" 

He shrugged. 

"Call it what you like. And then tell me you know a way I could go there without putting me into a death-like a state." 

"I could send him into a coma by wiping that self-satisfied grin off his face," Danny said dryly after he'd entered Steve's office. 

"Danny, since when ...?" Kono asked a little embarrassed. 

He put his right forefinger to his lips while looking straight into Steve's eyes. 

"Let me see ... Uhm ... I guess since you made it very clear that this mule-headed adrenaline junkie with a Super!Seal complex isn't immortal." 

Steve got up. 

"I don't think you won't have this conversation any more than I do. So how about we just don't?" 

"You know what they say about sociopaths and narcissists?" Danny countered. 

"Danno ...." Steve warned. 

"They leave a trail of burned bridges behind them. Do You want to die? Go and kill yourself but don't expect me or Kono or Chin stand aside, twiddling our thumbs watching you." 

Steve huffed out a breath and put his hands on his hips. 

"You know, fear makes people behave in a way that makes their fears come true." 

Danny shook the head violently. 

"You say you come from a long line of necromancers, demon hunters, witch finders and God knows what. You forgot to mention ass hats." 

Steve looked at the ground. He knows Danny and Kono were right. Kono had a lot of experience in the magic field. Danny ... Danny was Danny. An honest, reasonable person. He didn't have inhibitions telling him (Steve) that his behavior and H50's stated goals were incompatible. Sometimes, intelligent people could be a real pain in the ass. Danny could be a real pain in the ass that way. 

"Danny, don't look at me like I'm an offspring of Adolf Hitler and Mr. Hyde," Steve cooed. 

In response, his friend was aping him. 

Steve started another attempt. 

"Doubt is for things that don't know their purpose. I assure you; I know mine." 

"Why just don't you write all that on sandpaper, roll it into a tube, and shove it up your ass?" Danny had snapped before he stormed out of the office. 

"Now that went pretty well." Kono's voice was oozing sarcasm. 

"Forget it!" Steve left as well. 

Danny went to the parking lot mumbling to himself. His jaw dropped together with his car keys, as he found Steve leaning at the car, casually. Arms crossed over the chest. Feet crossed over the ankles. 

"Do you think you can yell obscenities at me and then leave?" 

Danny was looking for words while he picked up the keys. He gave his partner a lopsided grin. 

"First: why am I not surprised? Second: Obviously." 

"Lame." 

Danny felt visually fondled by Steve looks. 

"Oh, now you think you do your macho thing, and I will ..." 

Steve's eyes darkened. Instead of an answer, he pulled Danny into his arms, turned him around and pinned him with his full body weight against the car. Steve's kiss was hard, demanding. Greedy, his tongue pushed into his lover's mouth to dominate it. Danny felt momentarily distracted. 

Finally, Steve pulled away. Their eyes met, Steve's were still dark; his body radiated heat. 

Danny inhaled sharply. 

"I'm not that easily to convince," He said in a low husky voice then turned around, got behind the wheel and drove off, tires squealing. 

Steve went back to his office while possibilities and consequences, ramifications and options tumbled around in his head like drying laundry. 

Kono was still where he'd left her. 

"Sorry," He said. 

"No problem. Let me guess; no brownie points for you." 

"Nope." Steve plopped into his chair. He looked lost. 

"Danny wears his heart on his tongue. He's not mad at you; he's scared though he will never admit it. And you, you don't seem to be yourself these days. Something's off." 

"Now you blame me?" 

"No but it makes you unpredictable." 

Steve startled as Kono moved her hand and the book in front of him opened on a certain page. 

"I may have found a way to make the blood magic spell work without killing you off." 

"Really?" 

Steve's senses came back to life. 

"Under one condition: you do it under my watch. You're not flying solo." 

"Pinky swear," Steve smirked.


	4. Chapter 4

**Present Day - Morgue**

 

The parking lot and the surrounding area looked abandoned. With a grim look on his face, Chin got off the car. Kono stayed put and fired up the laptop. Shortly afterward, Danny arrived. He took a peek inside the car. Kono's fingers were flying over the keyboard. 

"Wouldn't it be easier to breach the security system with some real magic?" He suggested. 

She'd been working so highly concentrated that his words startled her. 

She huffed out a breath, "Danny. You really shouldn't sneak up on me like that. I could easily turn you into a guinea pig or a rat or a cockroach ..." 

He nodded briefly, "Thanks for giving me the creeps. I will never do it again, scout's honor." 

Suddenly, the air around him was getting thicker. He undid his collar, so he could breathe again, and went over to Chin. 

His friend looked frozen in time. 

"You could easily pass for one of Madame de Sade's waxwork." 

"Tussauds," Chin said dryly. 

"Whatever. So what's the plan? Are we going in to save Steve's ass and bring him back to the living? I mean ... I hope he doesn't stay dead, and we're just in time to ... you know ... get him out and Kono can do her mumbo jumbo, or whatever ... so we all could live happily ever after ... one happy little family ... one happy creepy little family ... considering ..." 

Chin turned his head staring daggers at Danny. 

He grinned sheepishly or tried, at least. "I know. I should shut my cake hole before you go all Arnold Schwarzenegger on me. So, tell me, what's the plan, I've never broken into a morgue before. I mean ... why should I ..." 

Another glare made Danny stop mid sentence. He pretended to close his mouth with an imaginary zipper, throwing away the key. 

Kono joined them, "I've cracked the code. The security cameras are running in a loop, now. You should have enough time to get Steve out of there, Danny." 

"No problem, with the Terminator on my side, I'm sure ..." 

"I'm not coming with you," Chin replied. 

"No, why in the world should you?" Danny's voice got a pitch higher. "Could you just stop the bullshit. Of course, you're coming with me. I know we had some issues in the past ... the recent past but hey, I can forgive and forget." 

Danny tapped Chin's shoulder. No reaction. 

"He can't," Kono deadpanned. 

"Flipping around corpses is against his believe now or what?" Danny pulled back his hand; he was royally pissed. 

"The morgue is protected by magic. That's the reason I had to hack into the system rather than pulling some magical stunt from outside. As soon as Chin is crossing the threshold he's either dusted or will go up in flames. 

Silence. 

Seconds later, Danny burst into a laughing fit. Chin and Kono stared at him in disbelief. 

"Sorry," he apologized while gasping for air. "I'm overcompensating. All the stress in the past weeks and now Steve lying in the morgue ... dead but hopefully not so dead in the end. And now you tell me that old Chin here is going to ..." 

He bursted into laughter, again. Danny's hands were emphasizing his words when he started another attempt to talk while keeping a straight face at the same time. "You're sure, Kono? Chin will go ALL POOF as soon as he sat a foot into the morgue." 

Chin had crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the ground, head shaking. 

"I told you our Happy Meal wouldn't be of any great help. I can probably have him for dinner with some whipped cream and a cherry on top." He grunted. 

Kono had enough, "Boys, drop it! At the moment, both of you aren't of any great help. Times ticking away. Steve is running out of time. I would go in there myself, but I can't. I'll be stripped of all my powers." 

Danny pursed his lips. Kono held up a hand. "Before you jump to any conclusion ... it's not a very pleasant thing to experience. It feels like being skinned alive. I'm sorry, Danny." 

She handed him an earpiece. "The only way to support you. I've the blueprints of the building. I'm guiding you through the morgue." 

"Where is Max when you need him?" Danny mumbled while he got ready. 

"Still playing Van Helsing in Rome. Together with some old farts. Their vampire problem is much bigger than they thought. The Vamps even infiltrated the Vatican." Chin hollered out before Danny was out of earshot. 

Inside the morgue, the air was stale. Danny could barely see where he went but it wasn't necessary because Kono had his back, as promised. She could tell him exactly how many steps he had to take and when to turn left or right. It took him about ten minutes to locate their target. Ground floor, room H. 

Slowly, Danny opened the door. Great, the room was filled from floor to ceiling with approximately twenty black body bags. One looked exactly like the other. He jumped as the door closed behind him with a thud it sounded so final. He was glad he downloaded the most elegant and functional flashlight app, ever. The words of the page's owner, not Danny's. He didn't give a wet fart if this thing was elegant. It should only help him to find Steve. 

"Kono can you tell me which one of the stiffs is Steve?" he whispered. 

Why was he whispering? 

"Sorry, I can barely hear you. The system is going to shut down. You have to hurry." 

"Kono?" 

Static noise. 

"Kono? Can you hear me?" 

Static noise. 

Awesome, now he was completely on his own. He was caught up in a tiny room with a bunch of rotting corpses. 'The Walking Dead became reality.' He rolled his eyes about his inner voice. Hopefully not ... 

He put the mobile aside and put on a pair of black latex gloves. It took a great deal of efforts to open the first body bag. And it didn't get better. 

Some of the bodies were in really bad shape, and soon the room reeked of decay. The light threw weird shadows on the walls which made him jump several times because it looked like some of the body bags were moving. Just imagination. That's what he told himself mantra like for the whole time. He huffed out a breath and cursed. At some point, Danny retched until his stomach cramped, and his eyes watered. Thank God he'd only had some coffee, this morning. Otherwise, he would have redecorated the room with his innards, already. 

Number nine was his lucky number. Steve's face was all covered in blood but looked unharmed. Something inside of Danny told him to keep going. He zipped up the body bag and shouldered his friend. 

"I swear I'm going to put you on a diet," Danny said through clenched teeth. His knees buckled under the weight, and he gave several lurching steps to keep his balance. 

As soon as he was out of the morgue, Chin took over. He carried Steve's lifeless body like it had no weight. Danny was totally out of breath. He bent down to put his hands on his knees. Every muscle was screaming. 

Kono came to his rescue. She helped him straighten up, wound her arm behind his waist and urged him to put his arm around her shoulders. "Lean on me," she ordered. Danny almost laughed at the idea that this little bundle of sass was about saving their asses. With a lot of wits and her mumbo jumbo, as he called her magic abilities. Without superhuman strength, claws or teeth. No pun intended. 

Their last stop for the night would be a crypt at an ancient cemetery where some of Kono's friends were waiting for them. Danny had forgotten the name because it was way too late to concentrate on Hawaiian names. He was glad that Chin was driving. Steve's body was still enclosed in the body bag. His head rested in Danny's lap. Danny stroked it, absentmindedly, until his eyelids got heavy, and he drifted off to sleep. 

**The other side**

The figment of a H.R. Giger imagination coupled with a nightmare of Hieronymus Bosch. It was a perfect description of what Steve was seeing and experiencing. Only a loony would feel comfortable in this ungodly environment. 

Although he was sure, he'd followed the instructions for performing the blood ritual strictly, his plan was going south. His "journey" had been more than rough. Upon entering this dimension, he thought; his body would be torn apart. The pain was unbearable. Even with his healing powers, it seemed to take an eternity until he was halfway back on his feet. Furthermore, he'd been sure to be attacked, immediately. But nothing happened. Where the hell was his opponent? 

Steve had hardly followed his train of thoughts when a shape \- coming from out of nowhere \- manifested itself in front of him. It wasn't a disfigured psycho killer demon. On the contrary, he was facing a beautiful woman. 

"Surprised?" Her voice was as sweet as honey. 

"Are you really that stunning or are you hiding your real face? Such a beautiful woman can't be responsible for all these crucial murders. " 

"All Prince Charming. Not very impressive. A woman has to keep her secrets. For the moment ... what you see is what you get. Beauty and cruelty should not be mutually exclusive. So, you came here to kill me or what?" 

"Would you stop with the murders because I would ask you to? I do not think so." Steve held her gaze with a penetrating stare. 

She pretended to stifle a yawn. "Boring me to death with your chatter won't work either. Tell me, how to you prefer your death? Short and painless or slow and agonizing?" 

"My girl. I like that you get straight to the point. Anything else before I'm going to end your misery?" Steve challenged her. 

Instead of an answer, she came for him with a blow of the katana that had materialized in her right hand within the blink of an eye. 

He felt a draft of air coming off the blade as it passed his ear. 

"Nice. I think I should get one for me as well." 

Although he's highly concentrated, nothing happened. He barely escaped her next attack. 

"My world, my rules," she said triumphantly. Her next blow hit him on the upper arm. The injury started bleeding abundantly. The color of the blood wasn't red; it was black. As soon as it hit the floor you could hear the roar of thunder in the distance. 

The woman's eyes widened in disbelief and confusion. She couldn't keep them off Steve's gashing wound and the streaks of black liquid running down his arm. 

"What the hell …?" 

"My body, my magic, my rules." Steve stated. A sardonic grin on his face. 

With every drop that touched the ground, the world around them darkened more and more. Suddenly, the earth shook violently.  

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [](http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&img=i261b6287g)   
> 

Chin carried Steve's body to the crypt at the old cemetery, followed by Danny and Kono. Three women and a familiar face where awaiting them, already. 

While Chin and Kono entered, Danny stopped short. 

"Kamekona, what the heck .... ?" His friend wore an Aloha Shirt, Bermuda shorts and had some flyers in one hand. 

"What are you doing here? Selling midnight snacks? Put a flyer on every gravestone?" 

Kamekona grinned from one ear to the other. 

"You don't know, don't you?" 

Danny raised his right eyebrow, "Should I? Spit it out. I'm not in the mood for riddles." 

Kamekona grimaced. 

"I'm the protector of the witches." 

"Now you're a bodyguard? Don't you have enough on your plate?" 

"No bodyguard. It's a secret, but you're a good friend. Call me grandmaster. You'll find the details on the folder. It's only for the gifted." 

Reluctantly, Danny took the folder, put it away in the back pocket of his trousers and entered the crypt which was enlightened by numerous candles. 

Kono and the other three women were undressing Steve. He lay on an ancient stone sarcophagus. 

Danny grabbed her shoulder from behind. 

"Wait, wait, wait! What the hell you guys think you're doing? Why are you undressing Steve? I'm sure there's a difference between necromantic and necrophilia." 

Kono answered without turning around. "Danny, this is serious witch business. We have to undress Steve and wash him." 

Danny inhaled audibly. 

"It's part of the ritual," Kono went on. "We have to get rid of every single drop of blood sticking to his body. Otherwise, we won't be able to reverse the spell ... he dies there, he dies here. His soul will stay trapped in the world between." 

Danny swallowed. He went over to Chin. The Hawaiian had closed his eyes. 

"Napping. Now?" 

"Shhhhh," I'm concentrating. "I'm calling the elders." 

"O.K.A.Y. Why does everybody know what to do except me? Oh, yes. I'm only human." He muttered, more to himself. 

The witches clasped their hands together, building a circle while their murmur grew louder. The flames of the candles went higher. Every hair at the nape of Danny's neck stood on end. Goosebumps rose all over his body. He had to fight the urge to run. Run as fast and far away as he could. 

Kono and her friends started chanting in a long forgotten tongue. At the same time, Chin groaned. Jumbled pictures, fragments of words, the sound of clashing swords, thunder, a familiar voice. 

"Steve!" Chin hollered out. He forced his eyes open. He wasn't in the crypt any longer. He felt caught in his worst nightmare. Whispers, desperate screams. The earth beneath him was moving. Countless hand, some decayed, some boney, reached for him. Tried to tear him down. An unbearable stench hit his nostrils. Before he fell, he was back in the crypt. His vision was blurry. One of the voices still stuck in his head. He tried to concentrate, but ongoing nausea made it impossible. 

Chin pressed his palms against his temples. Danny was talking to him. Tried to steady him as he started to sway. 

Kono's mind raced. She wanted to find out what was going on with Chin. Not a snowball's chance in hell. She couldn't leave the circle. It would kill all of them. 

"Chin, Chin?! What's wrong with you. Breathe, dude, breathe." Danny did the best he could to calm his teammate down though Danny was human something told him that Chin's bizarre behavior originated in the ritual. 

"Steve .... don't." Chin reached out to McGarrett's still form. "It's a trap! L.E.A.V.E.!!!!!" 

A gaping wound appeared on one of Steve's upper arms. 

"Hurry!" Chin said through clenched teeth. A wave of nausea washed over him. He pushed Danny aside and hurried outside. Chin felt like being on fire. He wanted nothing more than tearing off his clothes. He got rid of his leather jacket, dropped to his knees and vomited. The world around him went dark. 

The other side 

The beautiful creature had a big fat smile on her face. "Oh, oh. You friends seem to work against you. Didn't you tell them to keep the hell out of your business? And I thought you're an Alpha. What a waste of time. What about I put an end to your misery? I kill you, and you stay with me forever? Every day you're going die, and then I put the pieces back together, and we start again." 

Steve cursed inwardly. That was wrong. Something very powerful was pulling at him. His form began to flicker. 

"Bitch! What the fuck are you doing?" 

She shrugged. "Told you. It's not me. There's another player in the game." 

Steve's efforts to regain control failed miserably. And before he knew what happened to him, the creature was about to take the final blow. 

At the crypt 

The temperature in the crypt had dropped dramatically. Danny could see his breath. The candlelight flickered. Steve's naked body was levitating. A sight for sore eyes, if the circumstances were different. Suddenly the chanting stopped. 

Steve's blood-curdling scream echoed from the walls of the crypt. Before his body dropped, Danny caught him. Kind of. His strong arms prevented his lover from hitting the sarcophagus with full force. 

Silence. 

Steve awoke with a start, screaming. Danny, scared to death, followed suit. 

Kamekona and Chin were back in the crypt in no time. Prepared to defend their friend's life, no matter what. 

Instead, they found butt naked Steve in the arms of his lover Danny, both screaming at the top of their lungs. The witches were cracking up. Was this the beginning of the Apocalypse? 

Both men looked at each other and burst into laughter, too. 

It was only then that Steve became aware of the whole situation. First he looked down at him and then straight into Danny's puppy-dog eyes. 

"Danno, what the hell you think you're doing and where the hell are my clothes?" 

"You were levitating and when the witches stopped chanting your body dropped. All I did was saving you from some nasty bruises. That's what friends do. Prevent each other from harm. According to your reproachful look, it's not what you've been expecting." 

Danny pulled his arms away and got up. 

Steve sat up. Kono gave him a towel. Totally embarrassed and lost for words, he put it around his waist. Kono's friends were whispering and giggling behind his back. 

Furiously, Steve turned around. "I thought we had a deal. Why did you fuck up my plan? I already had her. I could've killed her easily." 

Kono shook her head. "The deal was: not flying solo. You had to wait for us. You went in there all by yourself. Look at your upper arm. The wound doesn't heal as quickly as it should. You put yourself in grave danger. You weren't about to kill her; she was about to kill you." 

Steve was searching for words. "That's ridiculous." He blurted out. 

"And it had been a trap," Chin interrupted him. 

"Trap? How could you know that, bra? You weren't even there." 

"I don't know, Steve. But during the ritual, I felt some bond. I heard what you heard. I saw what you saw. At least, I think so. I was torn back and forth between here and there. Like a roller coaster out of control. It was horrible." 

"Did you have enough blood? Probably it was the wrong type ..." Steve was looking for an explanation. What Chin just told him sounded totally inaccurate. 

"Maybe you spiked your potion with the wrong herbs or misspelled a verb. Why is it always Chin or Kono or me? Why isn't it you who fucked up? It was you who scared the shit out of us! It was you who had been declared dead. It was me, who dragged your sorry ass out of the morgue. It was Kono, Kamekono, their friends and Chin who made sure you wouldn't end up as soulless dead meat. Instead of blaming your friends, it's time to come to terms with yourself, McTowel." 

Fuming, Danny turned on his heel and left. 

"McTowel?" Steve mumbled and shook his head, slowly. 

Kono turned to Chin. "I think you and I should have some serious talk." 

Chin's throat was sore and dry. His craving for blood was overwhelming. His eyes darkened. 

Steve was immediately aware of the danger. "Kamekona, please take him to the headquarter. Kono, we follow them but before, make sure your friends get home safe." 

Kono winked, took the car keys from her jeans' pocket and threw them over to him. "I've some spare clothes for you in the trunk. My gut told me you needed some, McTowel." 

Steve was one step away from the crypt's entrance when the candles extinguished by a soft cold breeze. Occasionally, even Super!SEAL werewolves could get scared ...   


	6. Few Days later, late afternoon

 

Totally exhausted Steve dropped the duffle bag on the floor. Slightly disgusted, he looked down at himself. Déjà vu. Spatters of blood were all over his shirt, jeans and hands. He'd only washed his face thoroughly before he'd left. Thank God, this time, it was just the blood of a chicken. Having a heart to heart talk with the dead wasn't complicated, not with his abilities. And it was easier to get in contact with someone who hadn't died long ago. Then he needed a lesser amount of blood. 

His gaze fell into the meeting room. A dim light was on, and he could hear quiet voices from behind the closed door. Curious, he opened it and found Kono sitting in front of some take out boxes, and Chin next to a half-empty bottle of Absinth. His gut told him something wasn't right. 

"Hi, guys. Looks like a shitload of trouble in paradise." Steve quipped. 

"Isn't it great to have at least one happy camper around?" Chin sneered, downed another glass of Absinth and refilled. 

Kono picked at her food. She looked back and forth between the two men. Then, threw an apologetic look at her team leader. 

"Is there something I need to know? Has somebody died?" 

Silence. 

Steve ran his fingers through his hair and immediately felt the sticky sensation of blood on his hand. Fuck. He wiped his hand on his trousers. Not the best idea. He made a hissing sound. 

Now, he got the full attention of his two teammates. Kono's eyes widened in disbelief; Chin tensed up when he caught a whiff of blood. 

"Shit," Steve cursed. But nothing happened. Chin didn't freak out, no black eyes, no blitz attack. 

Konto pointed at the bottle, "It's the Absinth. It puts his inner demon to sleep. Not for long but long enough to give him some rest." 

Chin gave Steve a lopsided grin, "You're still fond of bloody smoothies?" 

Steve smirked, "Don't worry, this time; it's been chicken." 

"Chicken?" Chin eyed him up and down. "Disputes of inheritance, lost jewelry, last words that'd never been uttered, settle outstanding scores ... Brah, I thought we were through with that shit." 

Steve sat down, let out a sigh. "I owed Kamekona one." 

Kono grinned, "why am I not surprised? What was it this time? A forgotten treasure? A lost lottery ticket?" 

"Nope. It's about Auntie Clara's safe-deposit box at the First Hawaiian Bank and the matching key. As you all know her husband made a fortune with his Hedge Fund. Clara died before she could tell the whole story to her family." 

"Kamekona wasn't even part of this family." Chin deadpanned. 

"I know, but he took care of her when she got sick while her kids didn't give a rats ass about her. She'd mentioned that to me one time, when we met at Kamekona's shrimp truck, a few months ago. Her last will was in that box." 

"Could you help him?" Kono. 

Steve nodded. "Yes, I could. All her money goes to the Hawaiian Institute of Marine Biology and a small amount to Kamekona. I don't want to know what her family has to say about that." 

Steve banged his fist on the table. "Enough of the small talk. "What bullshit is going on." 

Disgusted, Kono shoved her plate aside. 

"You remember what went down during, and after the ritual when we tried to save your life?" 

"It's all in a blur, but I can recall some major parts of it." 

"And you remember about Chin and what this ritual did to him?" Kono got into it. 

"Where the hell do your questions lead? And ... and where the hell is Danny?" Steve said in a reproachful, agitated voice. 

"One thing after another." Chin put a glass of Absinth on the table, right in front of Steve. "You might need one when we're done talking." 

Steve looked at both team members with growing curiosity. 

"Spit it out," he snapped. 

"Chin's inner beast and yours share a bond. That's neither something good nor something bad. At the moment, I can't tell you much more about it. Only that it's odd. Cause you're not related." 

"That's it? That's the whole damned story?" Steve shook his head. 

"I'm not done, yet." Kono went on. 

"Shall his inner beast and mine sit down for a little chat? Talk about how to stop all the cruelty and world peace?" 

"That's not funny Steve," Kono warned. "Listen. Chin and I did some research at the crypt. It was still brimming with magical energy. This whole thing was a gigantic supernatural booby trap. The thinning veil, the missing keepers. It had only one goal. To lure you into the Never Never." 

Steve licked his lips, nervously. "You mean the veil wasn't thinning? The Keepers didn't vanish? Did someone make that up? For me? For us?" 

"I'm afraid, yes." Kono swallowed. 

"It's not your fault, Steve," Chin said, after downing another glass of Absinth. "We all fell for it." 

"Did you guys find out who or what we are up to?" Steve wanted to know. 

Both shook their head. "All we know is, that you brought something back with you." 

"But I wasn't aware ... I mean, shouldn't I have felt a presence?" He remembered the cold breeze and started to shiver. "Unless ..." 

"Unless, what?" Kono. 

"Unless, it has something to do with what I felt when I left the crypt. It was cold, gave me the creeps. Not likely to happen these days." 

Chin nodded slowly, grimaced. "You had a stowaway on board. We detected small amounts of ectoplasm, not visible." 

Steve pressed the palm of his right hand against his forehead. "Instead of saving people from harm, we started the show. Fuck it. Dammit. How stupid had I been?" 

Chin and Kono exchanged concerned looks. 

"There's one more thing we have to tell you. It's about Danny?" Kono said. Her voice was barley a whisper. 

"Don't tell me this thing chose to possess him," Steve muttered. 

"Danny is a gifted." Chin. 

"A gifted? How's that?" Steve was taken aback. 

A gifted was an offspring of fallen angels and human females. Then they started to mingle until their powers, and knowledge was almost erased. 

"Kamekona gave him one of his flyers." Chin began to explain. "They look like the menu for his shrimp truck. Only the gifted can see or read the hidden message. It's written in Enochian." 

"Could Danny read it?" 

Kono got up. "No. For him, they were just symbols." 

"What means?" 

"He isn't aware of his what he is. And before you ask ... He's not growing wings, either." Kono said mockingly. 

" So no free flights with air Danno, then." Steve didn't know what else to say. 

"Shall we tell him about it? I could put up some tests to check on him." She suggested. 

Steve shook his head violently, "No, no. No tests. I will spread the news to him. Where's he?" 

"He picked Gracie up from school. Cause Rachel was running late." Kono took a look at her watch. "I think he should be home, by now." 

"Fine, then ..." 

All of a sudden, a searing pain ripped through Steve's chest, forced him to his knees. He was gasping for air. Zillion stars exploded in front of his inner eye. What the fuck .... 

Chin and Kono were at his side, immediately. Next thing he knew, he lost his sense of hearing. He saw his teammates first talking, then yelling at him. His vision switched from normal to infrared and back. Now his whole body started to ache. 

Utter panic took hold of him. Wait. Were his incisors elongating? 

No, no, please no. He'd never shifted before. Was he even capable of it? He closed his eyes and tried to focus. A method he'd learned when he'd been in a monastery deep in a jungle in the middle of nowhere, three years ago. It was like riding a bike. Once you've learned it, you never forgot it. It took him just a few seconds to slow down his heartbeat. His hearing returned. Finally, he managed to extinguish the pain. 

Chin and Kono were still pulling at him, yelling at each other, desperately. 

"Stop it," He ordered. He had to repeat it two more times until they realized that Steve had returned from another horror trip. 

They helped him up. His knees felt wobbly; he felt embarrassed. Fuck, he was supposed their leader. It was the second time around; he'd shown his vulnerability to them. He tore himself away. 

"I'm okay; I'm okay. You can stop babysitting me." He said harshly. 

Protectively, Chin shoved Kono behind him. Steve checked his arms, face ears and teeth for changes. Nothing. Everything was fine. 

He cleared his throat, before he asked full of uncertainty, "Did ... did I shift?" 

Kono furrowed her brows; Chin looked at his friend like he'd lost his mind. 

"Hell, no!" both said unison. 

"What makes you think you did?" Kono asked. 

Steve waved his hand, "Nothing, just a thought. I think I'm still confused. I should go home." 

"Are you sure? One of us could give you a ride." Kono offered. 

"Thanks but no thanks." He left in such a hurry that one could think; the Horsemen of the Apocalypse were on his heels but who knows; things could always change. 

On his way home, Steve floored the gas pedal, brought on a self-satisfied, big fat grin and thought, "Danny; I'm totally gonna fuck your brains out, tonight."   

 


	7. I See The Bad Moon Rising

The house was dark. Danny went to sleep. No problem. He was going to wake him up after he'd showered. Steve undressed, letting his blood smeared clothing drop on the floor in a heap. Then he turned on the hot water and stepped under the showerhead. Gasping at the force and the heat of it, he gave in, closing his eyes as the hot shower relaxed him. Shampooing and quick lathering his body, he stood under the jets, unmoving for what seemed for hours. Steve enjoyed the steamy mindlessness as it pummeled him. Deeply fatigued, he leaned his head against the tiled wall. 

A GRAVEYARD 

SMASHED COFFINS 

CORPSES, PARTLY DECAYED 

LIGHTING STRUCK FROM THE SKY 

SKELETONS SCATTERED ON THE FLOOR LIKE CONFETTI 

"WHOA, WHAT THE FUCK ...." Steve yelled and jumped out of the shower like a bat out of hell. 

His heart was hammering in his chest like a jackhammer. 

He fetched a towel, slung it around his waist, almost slipped but caught himself at the sink and stumbled more then he went into the living room. 

"Steve? What the hell are you doing, down there? Redecorating the bathroom? Isn't it a bit early for so much action?" Danny was bent over the banister, still half asleep. 

Steve startled as he discovered the gun in Danny's hand. 

"Stop brandishing the damned gun, Danno! I'm not bulletproof, and I'm quite allergic to the silver bullets inside of it." 

"I only guessed it was you. What if it'd been an intruder or Chin who's overwhelmed by his hunger for a sexy blonde cop from Jersey?" Danny quipped. 

"That's not funny. Put the gun back into the closet and come here. We've got to talk." 

"Yes, sir, at your command, sir. Shall I bring the handcuffs, the butt plug, and the whip with me, master?" 

"Stupid little oaf!" Steve couldn't help but grin though he was still a bit jumpy. 

Shortly afterward they faced each other in the living room. Steve still with the towel around his waist and Danny in boxers and a shirt having printed 'momma's boy' on it. 

"You're dripping." 

"I know; I'm dripping." 

"Then, why don't you go and change?" 

"Why should I, I like this feeling." 

Steve's grin broadened. 

"Could ... could you do me a favor?" 

"Anything you want, Danno." Steve was about to burst into a laughing fit. 

"You said it's urgent. You made me come down and now ... STOP THAT SILLY GRIN! I just grabbed a shirt in the dark; I've won it at a fun fair, once. Now, tell me the fuck, what's bothering you ... I swear, you will have the couch for another night." 

Desperately, Steve tried to keep a straight face. But the shirt and Danny jumping around like Rumpelstiltskin didn't make it easier for him. 

" There I stood in the shower with my well shaped, sexy body, starting to relax .... bwahaha haha haha." 

Steve laughed so hard that his tummy began to ache. 

While Danny looked like going on a killing spree. 

"Sorry, so sorry, Danno but this shirt. It's priceless. You ... bwahaha haha ha." 

His laughing fit turned into a coughing fit and Steve started gasping for air. The fun was over, Danny's anger gone. 

He hurried into the bathroom and fetched Steve's asthma spray from the mirror cabinet. Thankfully, Steve took it and inhaled deeply, two times. He felt better in an instant. 

Danny led him to the couch, and they sat down. He slung his arm around Steve's shoulders. 

"You're okay?" Danny asked softly and worried. 

Steve's breathing evened out; the touch offered comfort to him. He nodded. 

"I'm okay; I'm good," He said hoarsely while desperately trying to regain his composure. 

"Can we talk, now? I swear I will go outside and burn this damned shirt on the beach, later." 

"No, don't. I'm all right. And the shirt is a keeper. Don't worry." Steve gave him a warm smile. 

Danny got up. 

Steve reluctantly started to talk. He wasn't sure if he should come forward with the whole story. Then he decided to leave out the part with the gifted. He thought they had enough on their plate, already. No need to bother Danny with a story about his angelic-human ancestors, who had illegal sexual encounters. And that he was somehow the outcome of this filthiness. What, if Kono and Chin were wrong? Danny could detect hidden symbols on a menu. He'd been around so much magic; lately, it could be mere coincidence. Steve's inner voice could be very convincing at times. 

In the meantime, Danny returned from the kitchen with a big glass of water. 

"What, no beer?" 

Danny pushed the glass into his lover's hand, "Shut up and drink." 

Steve drained the glass in one big gulp. Then he kept on with his story. Danny hung on his lips for the whole time. He didn't dare to interrupt him. After Steve was done talking, their eyes locked. 

Steve pulled Danny into his arms, pulled the shirt over his head, and they started kissing. 

Danny's mouth opened to him. Their hands explored each other. Danny's stroking, squeezing and teasing ... Steve was instantly hard. 

He motioned Danny upstairs into the sleeping room. There, he shoved him against the cupboard. Steve grabbed Danny's hands and yanked them upward while using his free hand to push down the boxers. An excited whimper escaped Danny's throat. He held Danny's smaller hands in his larger one. "Freeze," Steve whispered roughly. He squeezed Danny's wrists tightly before letting go. His cock ached. Pre-cum dripped from the tip. The insatiable need for being inside Danny pushed his limits of self-control close to the edge. Steve smacked his lover's ass hard reveling in seeing the handprint blooming on the soft, tanned skin. Danny inhaled audibly. 

"You like that?" Steve asked amused. 

"Yes, yes, don't stop," Danny begged. 

Steve took the lube from the nightstand to cover his fingers with it. Then he ran it over his length. Softly, he probed Danny's silk whole with one finger. It didn't take long until he lined up his cock and pushed forward. Danny huffed out a breath in surprise and excitement. Steve buried himself balls deep in the silky heat. Danny cried out. Steve gave him a moment until he started to move. Soon the air was filled with the smell of sex and sweat. 

As Danny's muscles clenched around Steve's cock, Steve pulled Danny closer. Suddenly, his vision turned to infrared. The searing pain in his chest returned. The sensation hit him like an oncoming freight train. 

He, immediately, let go of Danny, who cried out as something sharp as a razor cut deep into his side. Steve's eyes widened in horror, as he discovered the claws on his right hand. That was only topped by the fact, that his butt naked lover was pointing a gun right at him for the second time around, tonight. 


	8. Let's Marvin Gaye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [](http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&img=i273bl8hrg)   
> 

 

Almost one week passed, since the incident. Steve went off the grid. At least, he'd left a short message on Danny's voice mail and a cryptically text message. Danny had told the other two teammates about what happened, sparing them the delicate details. Later, Kono took care of Danny's wounds with a mixture of herbs. He was healing pretty fast. 

The three of them gathered around the gadget table and watched the monitors. There weren't any more supernatural crimes, lately but the team was sure as hell they hadn't stopped altogether. Kono combined her witchcraft with modern day's satellite technology. The outcome was interesting. She'd created a map with local magical hot spots. Some of them were very active. Danny and Chin had checked on them and made some arrests. Nothing major, so far. 

"Guys, do you think Steve can transform entirely into wolf form?" Danny asked, incoherent. 

If looks could kill ... 

"Bite me! Am I not allowed to think out loud?" 

"Of course, you are," Kono said soothingly. "And we totally understand your concerns. The answer was the same as of yesterday and the day before. We don't know. Steve's one of a kind. I've tried to find out more about him and his family. And I've done some research in this field, as well. Sorry, I couldn't find anything helpful." 

Danny sniffled. "And I'm sorry being such a pain in the ass. It's not the first-time Steve's out there on his own. The circumstances are just different. I'll go and get Gracie for a sleep over at my house. Father, Daughter bonding. Bye." 

"Take care," Kono said while Chin grimaced. "What?" 

"Steve didn't tell Danny about the gifted thing. Shouldn't we ... Danny is our friend. I think he's a right to know about it." 

"Steve promised, he'd tell him. That's okay with me." 

"If you say so..." 

+++++ 

Coming home for the first time in days felt strange. Steve looked at Danny's car in the driveway. It wasn't there. Of course, what had he been expecting? Is Danny camping out in his front yard? Stupid, Steve, stupid but hey, he'd tried to apologize. Okay, admitted. It was not more than a half-hearted attempt. No wonder, Danny refused the offer. This man could be as stubborn as a mule. Damn, sometimes it felt like looking in the mirror. Nevertheless, now it was Danny's turn. Was it? Call it SEAL!logic. For a split second, he'd hoped Danny would be here, would give him comfort and warmth and love. "Clear the way for my crash landing," He mumbled. Danny wasn't here. And he wouldn't come. 

Steve felt wasted and far too tired to shower. So he dragged himself up the stairs leaving a trace of clothes leading up to his bedroom. He dropped onto the bed, boneless. It felt like ages since Steve had ventured up here, into 'their' bed. For a while, it had worked pretending to sleep on the couch, but that hadn't been more than a restless tossing and turning. Even now this place was haunted by memories of them making love to each other. Thankfully, darkness embraced him.   

 [](http://mycoven.net/index.php?seite=display&img=i274b3xmwy)

From deep under the cover of a deathlike sleep, Steve began climbing into consciousness. His hearing picked up the sounds of the neighborhood, laughing people, barking dogs. The emptiness he felt last night was still lingering. The more he tried to ignore it, the stronger it got. Though he loved to pretend, his heart wasn't made of stone. No matter what thoughts Steve milled around in his head, it didn't stop the flood of images in his head; he couldn't banish Danny from his mind. 

For far too long he didn't give in into the need to relieve the pressure with a fading fantasy and hand. He'd become a master of disguise. A true martyr to the pain. And today, the levee finally broke. 

Eyes tightly shut he lowered one hand, trying hard to dissociate himself with each little move. Too soon and before he knew what he was doing, he squeezed his cock, arched his back and blew out a breath he'd been holding. He desperately fought the hollow sounds that were about to escape his throat by biting his lower lip. His loin was ablaze, his blood boiling in his veins. It was so easy to keep his hand moving in a steady rhythm, once he gave himself the permission of letting pleasure give way to the nagging pain inside of him. At least, he wouldn't hurt anybody, if he shifted now. 

Steve recalled every kiss, every caress, every powerful thrust of Danny's hips. Bodies covered in sweat. He tightened his grip, picked up pace. His legs fell open. He was close. So close. 

He felt a hot breath against his ear. "Fuck me," imaginary Danny whispered. Little asterisks exploded in front of Steve's inner eye. While his hand was moving at a raw pace, he let himself go. Threw himself into the abyss, where he could forget about everything. Everything but making love to Danny with mind, body, and soul. He screamed. Pearly drops of cum splashed over Steve's abs and chest. He clenched his fist into a ball and shuddered through the aftershocks. 

With the rest of his brain slowly returning to reality, he curled up. His hand was wet with cum, his face damp with tears. A flash of sheer lust and then – hello emptiness and guilt. Guilt, of having to cheat with Danny's memory. Before Steve drifted off, he came to the conclusion that the pain of being apart from Danny was too big a price to pay for his pride. 

SuperSEAL!Wolf instinct worked even when Steve was asleep. He woke with a start when he heard something downstairs. Drawers were opened and closed. He reached for the gun on the nightstand and got out of bed. Steve's vision was still a little blurry, and he felt dizzy but the adrenaline rush and his training took over, and he moved on autopilot. Smooth like a cat he went down the stairs and found his target in the kitchen. The man had his back on him. 

"Put your hands in the air and turn around, slowly," Steve ordered. 

The intruder froze and obeyed. 

Steve's got wide, "Danny?!" 

"Hi, Steve." 

An awkward moment of silence ticked by while Danny stood, hands in the air, while a butt naked Steve was pointing a gun at him. Time loop with changing positions? 

"Danny?!" 

"Yes, we already had that." 

Silence. 

"Steve could … could you just do me a favor?" 

"Sure." 

"Put … put the gun down, okay?" Danny said and lowered his hands. 

"Oh, of course, sorry." Instinctively, Steve wanted to holster the gun, but … 

"I think I should get dressed … and probably shower …" 

"Steve?" 

"Yes?" 

"I would suggest you change the order." 

"What?" 

"First shower, then gets dressed," Danny said in a paternal voice. 

Steve put the gun on the kitchen counter. "Oh, of course. I'm … I'm just a little … didn't expect …" 

"I know; it's obvious. Go to the bathroom, I'll take care of breakfast." 

"Sorry that I – the gun," Steve said smiling. 

"Trust me, I'm all right. At least, you didn't shoot me. What tells me that you're no longer mad at me, or not as mad as you were when you threw me out that door few nights ago," Danny said, grinning. 

Steve's smile froze on his lips, "and you haven't forgotten how to rub salt into open wounds, thoroughly. Sadist!" He turned on his heel. 

"I love it when you talk to me like that," Danny hollered out. 

He fidgeted with the pan and almost dropped it when Steve peeked around the corner and said aloud, "Danny!" 

"What?" Slowly, he was losing his temper. 

"Glad you're here." 

"Yeah, yeah. It's okay, dude. I got it and now take that damned shower." 

"Yes, Danno," Steve replied and was gone. 

"Kiss my back," Danny muttered. 

"I heard that," Steve replied and closed the door to the bathroom. 

While Danny took his time eating his breakfast, Steve wolfed it down. 

"Being out there in the woods must make a man hungry," He stated dryly. 

"Woods?" Steve wondered. 

Danny made a dismissive gesture. "I have no clue where werewolves go on their own." 

Steve jabbed his fork into the egg. 

"What has the egg done to you?" 

They smiled at each other. 

"Where did you get all the stuff? My fridge was practically empty," Steve wanted to know still jabbing and shoving. 

"You know these places, called supermarket? They're everywhere. Even here on hula island," Danny said. 

Steve was done. With a satisfied grin, he leaned back, patted his belly and burped. 

"Nice, what about a decent fart?" Danny sneered and threw his napkin on the table. "Try to wiggle with your ears at the same time, and I promise you to get a job at the Russian National Circus." 

"You would do that for me?" Steve deadpanned and went over into the living room. 

Danny cleared the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher. 

"Why didn't you just call?" Steve asked as Danny joined him, a bottle of beer in each hand. 

"I did, actually a dozen times. Maybe you forgot to charge your phone. From time to time, you should do that. You know. Especially if you're playing Huntsman in the woods. It could save lives, probably yours unless, you don't give a fucking shit about it, Steven." 

"There we go again," Steve mumbled. Just now, he realized that Danny was wearing a T-shirt. "Wait, no dress shirt/tie combo, today? Are you sick?" 

"It's Saturday, and I'm off duty but being away for some days seems not only to make you hungry it also make you lose track of time. Or should I say, lose your mind?" 

Silence. 

"Dammit," Danny huffed out. "I didn't come here to argue." 

Steve's voice was mere above a whisper, "I'm a fucking head case with enough luggage to take a plane down." 

"And I've got a matching set of luggage," then Danny took a deep swig from the bottle before he put it back on the coffee table. 

Silence wove through the air. 

Worried Steve watched a shuddering rattle Danny's frame and reached out, instinctively. He put a hand on his partner's upper thigh. 

Danny's thoughts whirled around like dice on a craps table. 'Should I stay or should I go now?' the line of the song was stuck in his head. 

Steve knew that something was wrong. Danny!Speechless was never a good sign. 

"Dude, I can hear the clicking of your brain. Spit it out," he finally said, hoarsely. 

"Did you ... did you ever shift entirely into wolf form? On purpose or not?" 

For a while, they were just staring at each other. Then Steve took his hand away. 

"You've talked to Chin and Kono," he said and rubbed his stubbly chin. "And the reason you came by was not the breakfast. I mean it was, but it wasn't the main reason." 

"Of course, I've talked to them. What do you think? Our leader decides to take a leap and leaves nothing like a bunch of questions and an open case. What's wrong about worrying about you? Do you have any clue with what stories we had to come up with? We've enough enemies circling us like jaws a bunch of castaways even at the HPD. During your absence, I'd been the one who had reported to the Governor because it could've been very unhealthy for Chin if she'd caught him during one of his seizures. Biting a chunk out of an official could get a little lethal for him." 

Steve stood. 

"Ready to run?" Danny teased. 

"I was going to pace." Steve took a sip, walked to the other side of the room, and then back, again. 

"Better?" Danny asked, a challenging look on his face. 

"I needed some time alone. I swear to god this had never happened to me before in my entire life. Killing you off is not on my to-do list, neither becoming a werewolf. I have to talk to Kono. Maybe she got a tranquilizer or something similar. I ... I don't want to experience it again, ever." 

Steve dropped on the couch next to Danny. 

The blond man shook his head in disbelief, "how do you do that … I mean … keep yourself in check all the time?" 

Steve blew out a breath, eyes cast downward, "It costs a lot of strength and discipline. It's like pushing your evil twin under water, constantly. He struggles for air, but you don't give him a chance." 

"Until he breaks through the surface and shows up to say hello." 

"Thanks for your trust in me and my abilities, Danno. Sharing your body with a predator means, you have to make arrangements with your inner demon. It's like walking a tightrope." 

"I'm aware of that, princess. And I know that you've to make certain sacrifices. These sure don't include going on suicide missions, messing around with your friends, vanishing into thin air and God knows what. I would say that comes closer to rope skipping." 

Steve sighed, rubbing his palm against the knot on his forehead. "Listen, I know you're worried, and maybe I was wrong about some things …" 

"Duh," Danny snapped. 

"I promise I'm going to try …" 

"Do or do not... there is no try." 

Steve smirked, "Danno. You're quoting Yoda?!" 

"Of course, he's a wise little man like me, and I'm sick and tired of reinventing my speeches. Guess you've heard them all." 

"Did I ever tell you that I have a crush on wise little men?" Steve teased. 

Danny grinned, "you have a crush on Yoda?" 

"Nope, but I do have one on you." 

When Danny thought about it later, the best part of the whole day was when Steve leaned towards him, grabbing his shirt to bring him closer and the hot wet kiss that followed. 

Danny didn't know what to expect from Steve. That he would use a magic wand and make him forget everything? Fuck it, he should stop thinking and enjoy the moment. 

Steve pushed him back, gently, Shoved his tongue into Danny's mouth and one hand in the thick blond hair, making the most out of it. The couch wasn't exactly big enough for both Danny thought, while he pressed his body against his lovers, grabbing his firm ass. 

In this very moment, Steve shifted his position, and they tumbled onto the floor. 

He didn't wait for Danny to catch the breath that had been forced out by the impact. 

"I hope your back likes my carpet," Steve smirked. 

Danny raised an eyebrow, "my back? You're talking about my back?" 

Steve raised one right back at him, "Don't go there, Danno. I'm not in the mood to argue about who tops." 

Danny grinned widely. "No, not going to argue, it's just about assuming who's going to top." 

Steve circled his hips to make his point. Danny inhaled sharply. In between hips moving hard and fast and kissing, they managed to get rid of their shirts. 

Dear Lord, Steve wanted to be everywhere at the same time, wanted to lick and touch and suck. Greedily he inhaled Danny's scent. Danny moaned as they pushed against each other, dry humping like teenagers doing this for the first time. 

Somewhere a phone was ringing. Once, twice. They stopped short. 

"What?" Steve gasped. 

"Phone." 

Steve shook his head, "you're not going to answer this call," he stated and pinned Danny's left hand next to his head. 

"Could be a family emergency." 

"The ring tone's not familiar." 

Danny hesitated, "you're right. It's not my phone; it's yours." 

He pushed hard against Steve, who wasn't impressed nor moving an inch. 

"Get off me, you stubborn jerk," Danny snapped. 

The magic was gone. 

"YOU call ME stubborn?" Steve grunted and rolled off him. 

Danny muttered, 'whatever' and looked for the phone. 

He found it on the chest of drawers in the ante-room. The caller left a text message. Danny startled as he felt Steve's naked chest on his back. 

"Gimme the phone," Steve ordered. 

"No can do," Danny smirked, pressing buttons. 

"I'm not going to ask again," he warned and wanted to grab it. 

A picture popped up on the screen. It showed a familiar face and took the case to a whole new level. 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**36 hours earlier**

 

About 600 people were moving their sweaty bodies to the stomping techno beats coming straight from the speakers. Where the whirring of sewing machines and the deafening clatter of looms was heard, once, the booming bass let the earth shook. The party spawned a never-ending spring of booze, courtesy of the Hawaiian gods of drunken shenanigans. Drugs were exchanged, faster than the speed of light. There wasn't a single drink that's not been spiked. 

Casually, he leaned at the bar, a bottle of beer in his hand, facing the crowd. An amused smile curled the corners of his lips. He enjoyed this place. There was something magical about it. It brought his dark side to the surface, rattled at its cage, teasing, inviting. He couldn't tell how many people he had had sex, tonight. They felt drawn to him like moths to the flame. They couldn't resist his charm, and he loved it. The later it got the more restless he became. The faces in the crowd turned into ugly grimaces. The loud music, the booming bass, he had to relieve the pent-up tension before it got to him. The all-consuming darkness inside of him was taking over. His vision turned red. Instead of blood, he felt red hot lava pumping through his veins. The smell of sweat and sex brought out his basic instincts. He lost control over the beast within. A beast he'd thought, he could handle. The moment when the hunted became the hunter proved him oh so wrong. Now, he was looking for prey. Real prey. He wanted his body covered with their blood, wanted them to die while he watched. The only thing that spoiled his fun was the fact that it was so easy. Willing victims were much less fun. But he couldn't have it all, could he? And so their cries for help went unheeded in the labyrinth of tunnels. 

**Present day \- somewhere after midnight **

"Don't give me the stink eye, Trey. I've no clue why it didn't work." Izzy snapped and fetched her backpack with the magical paraphernalia in it. 

"I swear I did everything by the book. I went through this ritual repeatedly. No chance, I did something wrong." 

"Obviously, you did. Or do you see any demon running around here or a portal into another dimension?" Her brother snarled. 

"I don't see any of it. I always thought you inherited our mother's talent, but your abilities are just good enough for fascinating people at the fun fair." 

"Or you've been royally screwed by your dear friend Karoli when he sold you the amulet. Think about that. I told you, don't trust a Traveler." She pointed at the amulet, "This piece of crap looks like a cheap imitation." 

Izzy would have loved nothing more than get the hell off the island, and leave her brother alone with his holier-than-thou attitude. Why did she even agree to help him in the first? She had no idea. Probably, it was because she had promised their parents to take care of him and keep him from harm. He'd lied about the ritual. What sounded like a spell for getting them wealth and a better life had turned into a disaster. Thank God, the whole thing didn't work out. 

"Watch your tongue! Karoli's family is trustworthy, all in all, honorable men and women." 

"Yeah, whatever. I'm out. I'm at Anela's in case you need me. There will be another window of opportunity in about two weeks. Give me a call. Bye." She left without further ado. 

Pissed and angry at the whole world, Trey stared at the remnants of the ritual. With one fluid motion, he swept the black candles, the skull, the grave images and the rest of it off the altar. The things lay scattered on the ground. Only now he realized that one thing wasn't there. The amulet. His look darted back to the altar. The amulet was still there where he had put it at the beginning of the ritual. It didn't move an inch. Trey frowned. He took a closer look, touched the artifact. As hard as he tried, he couldn't move it. It seemed glued to the altar. Suddenly, a flash of light exploded in his face. He flung against the other side of the room. A searing pain shot from his head to his toes. A stifled cry escaped his throat; he fell to the ground, and the world around him went dark. 

  
**H50 Headquarter**

The whole team was gathered around the gadget table. They studied the pictures the satellite had taken only hours before. Because as soon as Steve and Danny had received the message, they rushed into the office where Chin and Kono were waiting for them. 

The pictures brimmed with black magic. Something awful must've been going down there. They couldn't tell what it was from where they were now, and so they decided to take a trip to this place. 

Steve bit his lower lip, "Kono, are you sure the place wasn't flagged together with the others when you worked your spell the first time?" 

"A hundred percent, boss. That is new." 

"The place is huge, how did it drop off your radar?" Danny wanted to know. 

Kono shrugged, "Honestly? I'm totally clueless. And we won't find out anything from here." 

They nodded at each other with determined looks on their faces and left. 

As soon as they reached the scene everything played out. Black Magic was still lingering. Even Danny sensed it as the hairs on the nape of his neck stood on end. The whole area reeked of fear, despair and death. 

Kono opened the trunk of her car and took out a wooden staff. Its surface was covered with glyphs. These empowered her to find and cast a proper protection spell. The whole team wasn't very fond of being surprised, neither by demons nor by humans who stumbled accidentally over this place. 

The staff started to glow in such an intense light; they had to cover their eyes with their hands. After Kono was done, she crouched down and put her palms on the sandy ground. 

"Steve, you have to take a look at the building's basement. It's still brimming with ancient dark magic. But be careful. You should take Danny with you. Chin and I stay here to make sure we get no unwanted visitors." 

Danny swallowed, "I thought you had worked your magic mumbo jumbo. Aren't we safe? Or better, do you think I'm better off as Mr. Hyde's sidekick?" Danny said while nodding in Steve's direction, briefly. 

Chin rolled his eyes at his teammate's complaint. "Why can't you just shut your mouth and follow orders?" He gave a bored sigh. 

"You can be Steve's sidekick if you want to," Danny suggested. "No problem with that. If things get rough, you could still kill each other." 

"Danny, stop it," Steve snapped. 

"No, I won't. Guys, you forgot I'm only human. I'm not into this supernatural shit and all I could do to help Stevie Wonder is running away screaming." 

"Don't sell yourself short." Chin mused. Steve and Kono glared at him. 

Before Danny could start with one of his smart-ass lectures, Kono cut him short. 

"Even if Chin wanted to follow Steve, he can't. The tunnels are swimming in blood. He's putting himself and us in grave danger. Chin and blood aren't BFFs at the moment." 

Danny opened and closed his mouth. Silence. Time was ticking away. Suddenly, Danny slapped Steve's ass. 

"Let's go, Dr. Jekyll. I warn you, if you go all Mr. Hyde on me, you're going to regret it, deeply," Danny said a little amused. 

"I don't get it. Seriously!" Chin snapped as soon as the two men were out of earshot. "Why the hell doesn't he tell Danny about his "maybe" abilities. Who knows, they could be important to us. Danny could be our savior." 

Now it was Kono's turn to roll her eyes. "What's wrong with you? We know Danny for quite some time. He never showed signs of being more than just human." 

"You mean a pair of wings would do it for you or a halo?" Chin grumbled. 

"Well, that might be cool but way too obvious," Kono smirked and poked Chin's upper arm. He answered with a grunt. 

The inside of the building was as abandoned as the outside. At first sight, the whole scenario looked more like a wild party. Bottles, cigarette buds, streamers, glow sticks, confetti, balloons and other stuff all littered the floor but the stench, and the team's gut feelings told a whole different story. 

"I'm glad Gracie isn't into this stuff," Danny muttered and kicked an empty can aside. 

Steve's instincts were on high alert. He cursed Kono for putting Danny apparently into danger. How could she? His stomach churned. 

Their way led them deeper into the innards of the building. They were about to enter the labyrinth of tunnels as the stench of rotting flesh and blood hit them both like an oncoming freight train. Danny was thankful he hadn't eaten, anything. The coffee in his stomach was long gone. Even Steve had to fight his instinct to run away as fast as he could. Both decided it would be better to breathe through the mouth. Bodies, limbs, bowels everywhere their eyes went. Kono was right; the floor was swimming with blood. Steve and Danny exchanged more than worried looks. The body count was occasionally an estimate. Steve counted about eight bodies so far. It was hard to tell with all the body parts scattered around. 

"Dammit, I should have brought the stinking cologne along," Danny stated. 

"You mean the one that Kamekona gave you as a birthday present?" Steve smirked. 

Yes, the situation couldn't be worse, but he was thankful for Danny's chatter. It was a little distraction from all the horror. 

"Yeah, he made me wear it the whole evening at Kameāloha's bar. Men and women avoided me along with the insects. I swear I've never felt more lonely in my entire life." 

Steve huffed out a laugh. 

Without turning around, he changed the subject, "I need a body with an intact throat." 

"You need what?" Danny's eyes grew big. 

"A body with an intact ..." 

"I got it. I'm not stupid. But what for? You're going to have a little chit chat ..." his voice trailed off. 

He grabbed Steve's shoulder. "No, you don't!" 

Steve frowned. "What?" 

"That, that blood spell bullshit. You're not doing it, again. No way, I'll let you do it." 

Danny fumbled for his cell. 

"Whom do you want to call? We've got no reception down here," Steve grinned. 

"Danno, you're not panicking, are you?" 

"No, I'm not. Look at me and you see the calmest person ever." 

"Yeah, of course. That's the reason you're about tearing my shirt apart?" 

Danny stopped short. 

"Oh, I'm ... I'm sorry. I didn't want to ...." He pulled his hand back. 

"Stop babbling, I need this body." 

Danny nodded, "Yes, with an intact throat." Before he turned away from Steve, he added, "And why is that?" 

Steve inhaled sharply and regretted it the next moment. The stench made his eyes water and his stomach heave. 

"Have you ever tried talking to someone with a ripped out throat?" he asked annoyed. 

"No. Not really. I mean, of course not. Because this person couldn't ... wouldn't be able to speak." 

"Great, Watson. Dead or not doesn't matter. And now let's get down to business." 

It didn't take long until Danny hollered out, "I've got one." 

Steve went over to him. They towered over the body of a young girl about sixteen or seventeen years of age. 

"Except the fact that she's missing the part of her body from below her waist, she looks peaceful," Danny stated dryly. He was fighting hard against the numerous pictures that flooded his mind. Though the girl didn't have any resemblance with Gracie he couldn't make him stop thinking about her. Shadows crossed his features. 

Steve glanced at him. He could read Danny like an open book. He'd never told him because his partner considered him insensitive, anyway. 

"You don't have to stay. It's not going to be a walk in the park. You can wait outside," Steve murmured. 

"And miss all the fun? No way." Danny deadpanned. "One more thing, promise me you're not going to end up in a body bag, again." 

Steve shook his head slightly, "don't worry. This is way less dangerous than the blood spell. I'm not entering another dimension. I'm staying put and have a heart to heart talk with the poor little thing. It'll get messy, and you will experience some strange things, and we both will have to take a shower afterward ..." 

Danny put his forefinger to Steve's lips, "Spare me the gory details. I believe in you." 

 


	10. Chapter 10

Steve knelt behind the dead girl and whispered, "I'm sorry, darling, I have to do that to you, but there is no way around it." 

He gently put his hand on her shoulder, to connect. Instantly, disgusting things happened around him. The body parts got a strange life of their own. Every bone, every piece of meat was attracted by Steve's magical power. Droplets of blood lifted from the ground in slow motion and kept halting midair like anything else froze in time when Steve closed his connection with her, finally. Danny watched the bloody scenario fascinated and with horror. He’d never been there when Steve worked his necromantic abilities. A deafening silence fell over the place. 

Something was off. He should be on the girl's side in a white room. They should lead a small conversation about what happened and then Steve asked the victim to take him back in time. He didn't tell them they were dead. He told them they had a bad dream and to make it go away, they needed to relive it. He was sorry he had to lie to them, but when he was done with his work, he altered their memories, so they could rest in peace and move on to the other side. Today, he was sucked into an abyss, the victims and his soul merged. It lasted only seconds. Damn it; he wasn't in control. Steve could feel it. Someone else jumped the soul train. Darkness changed into flickering light. Music was blaring from the speakers, and he was in the middle of a dance floor shaking his ass off, feeling tipsy. A pimple faced teenager was about to shove his tongue down Steve's throat.  

"Curtis, get the fuck off," a girl slurred and pushed the guy away from her. Nausea washed over Steve. That was so wrong. He moved through the crowd and ended up at the bar. A glimpse into the mirror told him the horrible truth. He and the girl shared her body. What the fuck?! He's supposed to watch from outside and not be part of the show. Steve panicked. Something like that had never happened before. His stomach heaved. 

"Oh no," the girl moaned and pushed through the crowd. She made it to the outside where she vomited. 

"I swear, no more Tequila shots, never," she muttered and straightened up. 

A group of teenagers walked past her. They all laughed, hooted and had fun. 

"How can you be so happy?" She snapped. 

They ignored here. She dropped to her knees and started to sob. Drunken teenagers and their mood swings, he thought he was over it. 

Suddenly, Steve felt a powerful dark presence. It was overwhelming and took his breath away. He was about to scream and wanted to warn the girl, but that wasn't going to happen. He couldn't alter the past only the memory of it. 

The girl got up and stumbled back to the party. A tall guy dressed in black leather from head to toes blocked her way. 

He spoke with a soft, dark voice, "All alone by yourself out here in the middle of nowhere? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Isn't that a bit reckless?" 

Slightly embarrassed, she lifted her head and looked directly into a pair of glowing red eyes. 

"Hello Steve, nice to see you," the demon said. 

How was that possible? 

"You know the saying if you go in harm's way ..." 

Steve tried to escape this living nightmare. 

The demon boomed with laughter, "Do you think your poor necromancer tricks can stop me? Don't be such a fool. And now, GET.THE.FUCK.OUT.OF.HERE." The connection broke. 

Danny shuddered. The air was filled with the stench of sulfur. The blood droplets turned into a bloody shower. Steve was picked up by an invisible hand and hurled backward with incredible force. He slammed into a wall. The air was forced out of his lungs. Bones snapped. A huge fireball rushed through the tunnels, turning everything in its way into ashes. A deep voice echoed through the tunnels, "ENDGAME." Followed by hysterical laughter, but the demon didn't reckon with Detective Danny Williams. 

Out of nowhere a sword made of blazing white light appeared in his right hand. With one swift motion Danny was at Steve's side, swung the sword above his head, kept it there, so he and Steve were engulfed in a ray of light. Danny winced when the roaring flames met the dome of light. The searing heat was unbearable, but he stood fast against the vast forces that tore at him. Steve came to in the midst of a storm of flames and light. It took him a few seconds to find out what's going on. Before he knew what he was doing, he touched Danny's foot. Immediately, his energy was drained from his body, mingled with Danny's. Together, they forced the flames upward. 

Kono and Chin felt the earth shaking beneath their feet. A gigantic explosion ripped through the factory building. The cousins were thrown to the ground, were they, helplessly, watched as the building collapsed and vanished. They exchanged horrified looks. Seconds later, their hearts were beating in their throats as they stood on the edge of a huge crater and stared into the depth. It took some time until the dust settled, but when it did, they discovered Steve and Danny's entangled bodies. Steve gave them weak thumbs up, even tried to smile. Thank god, they were alive. 

**Few hours later at McGarrett's house**

Danny was still out on the couch. The rest of the team eyed him worriedly. 

"How long this is going to last?" Steve asked and grimaced. He was healing only slow. Every move he made, made him wince. 

"I can't tell you. I have no experience with Nephilim and their offspring," Kono said apologetic. As hard as she tried, she couldn't wake up Danny. She couldn't even tell if he was okay. Only time would tell. 

Chin eyed Steve, stating dryly, "You look like shit and your healing damned slowly. What happened down there in the shadows? I'd prefer the truth in every single detail and not a quick rundown." 

After they'd arrived at Steve's house, he was having a quick shower and passed out on the way to his bed. He woke up and told Kono and Chin only bits and pieces about what went down in the tunnels. It wasn't on purpose. He just didn't understand it either. 

Now, it was time to come forward with the whole story. Chin and Kono didn't look happy after he'd finished. 

"Does that mean our Hobbit knew what power he's possessing and hid it from us all the time? Fuck you, brah!" the Asian flipped Danny off. 

Kono put a hand on Chin's lower arm, "leave him be. I don't think he knows what power or powers he inherits." 

"You got to be kidding," Chin snapped. "He discovers his power the moment; they needed it? Screw you." 

Steve sighed and took another gulp from the bottle of beer, then stared at Danny, wished he would wake up. 

"He had no clue what he was doing, his instincts took over," Steve mumbled. "It's because he loves me, and I love him. We have an invisible bond between us." 

"Bullshit," Chin interrupted him, "Love, tsk. He played us like a damn fiddle." 

Kono shook her head, "No. Steve is right. As far as I remember we haven't been in such grave danger. Of course, we experienced risk, in one way or the other, but this was a matter of life and death." 

"What about the incident in the crypt? Steve was close to death as well. Where was Danny Almighty, then? Why didn't he show up?" Chin pointed out. 

"The danger wasn't imminent. We had it under control or at least, were working on it. Down there the demon was in control and was about to end their lives. Everything was turned to ashes in the blink of an eye. I'm sure that's what triggered the power." 

A moan escaped Danny's throat. His eyelids fluttered open. 

In an instant, Steve was at Danny's side. "Hi, babe. Welcome back." 

Danny wanted to sit up. His lover pushed him back, gently. "Stay put. Don't move. You've pulled a helluva stunt." 

"Ouch, " Danny huffed out. He dropped back into the cushion. 

"What did I do? Break the record in sucking rat's asses. It would explain the shitty taste in my mouth. YUCK." 

Kono returned from the kitchen with a glass of water mixed with some herbs. She put it into Steve's hand who helped Danny raise his head so that he could take a sip. The cold liquid hissed down his throat. Thankfully, he closed his eyes and relaxed a bit. 

"What do you remember?" Steve asked softly. 

"You mean before we headed to Dr. Frankenstein's cabinet of horror, or after you put your hand on the girl's shoulder, and the world stood still." 

Steve frowned, "The world stood still?" 

Danny slowly sat up, "Yeah, don't you know what happens when you work your mumbo jumbo?" 

"That's not what usually happens. I can't influence timelines, and nobody mentioned that to me before." Steve swallowed.

"It must've been the demon," Kono mumbled. 

"Demon, what Demon? What did I miss down there?" Danny took another sip from the glass. 

The other three exchanged their looks. 

Chin wanted to say something. Steve raised his hand to silence him.

"Steve, you can't keep him in the dark. Not after all what happened," Kono said. 

"He has a right to know what he is. Tell him," Chin demanded. 

Danny looked to and fro between his friends. He had no clue what this was all about and when all three started to talk  at once, he yelled, "Stop it! Damn it! Stop talking about me, like I wasn't here or part of the team." Then he turned to Steve. 

"I knew it. Once more, you decided to keep me in the dark." 

Steve's eyebrows shot up. "Once more? Seriously? When was the first time I kept you in the dark?" He made air quotes around the last three words. 

"When you decided to go on that fucking blood spell aka suicide mission. You promised Kono no solo action, but you and your oversized ego couldn't wait. You died, in case you forgot about it and I had to drag your sorry ass out of the morgue. You owe me, Steve. YOU.OWE.ME. Tell me, what the fuck happened in Bate's Underground Motel?! Tell me, or I swear I kick your ass out of my life."


	11. Farting Rainbows ...

Danny's eyes widened in disbelief as he listened to Steve, Kono, and Chin. "What the fuck?" He said that repeatedly in the last thirty minutes.

Danny was pacing around. "I don't get it. Where did this ... this angelic burp or whatever it was come from? I had no idea I was capable of such a thing. And all of a sudden I turn into ... into ... I don't know what I am."

"Nephilim," Kono stated.

"Bless you," Danny answered absently, his mind was already traveling down a lonely path.

"You're a Nephilim or, at least, some offspring," Steve explained.

Danny huffed out a frustrated breath, "Awesome. Next thing I'm going to do is farting rainbows?"

His three teammates tried not to laugh.

"Kono, can you tell me if this was a one shot or will this happen on a regular basis, now. How do I learn to control this power? How do I manage not to kill my friends?" Danny was talking in a machine gun staccato. He was always high-strung, which was neither good nor bad, but was just the way he was.

Kono sat down next to him. "Honestly, I don't know anything about your powers. You're the first one."

Danny got up, "This is getting better with every minute. The only thing we know for sure about my angelic hiccup is, it is lethal."

Steve furrowed his brows. "No, Danny. That's not true. You saved my life in the tunnels. The fire would have turned me into ash. Look what's left of the bodies, down there."

"At what cost, Steve? At what cost? Look at you. You're hardly healing. I've drained you almost of all your powers. I don't want to think about what happens next time. You're going to die, if you stay that close to me for a longer time. And so will Chin. God only knows what'll happen to him ..." His voice trailed off.

"I go down in flames," Chin stated the obvious. "I'm buying me some fireproof undies. Don't worry."

"You might think this is funny, guys, but it's not. I can't stay with you as long as I have no control over these supernatural hiccups. What if I have a nightmare and release the power? I could set the whole neighborhood on fire. I thought Angels were good. Now it turns out they are even worse than any demon we know."

Danny took a big gulp from the whiskey glass. The liquid burned down his throat and left a soft, warm feeling in his gut. Wait, warm, and warm could turn into hot and hot...? He shoveled a bunch of ice cubes into the glass, then held it out to Steve, "refill."

Steve rolled his eyes, "If you are drinking like that you'll be wasted in no time. Who knows what happens when you're drunk. Last time you lost control over your bladder, remember? Up the ante and consider what your power could ..."

"Thanks for lecturing me, I got it. Water, please," Danny mumbled. He still held the glass out to Steve.

A few minutes later, Kono returned from the basement with an old book in her hand.

Chin gave her a broad smile, "Let me guess. Computers are overrated."

She dropped onto the couch and started skimming through the pages, carefully. Her cousin got curious when he recognized the family crest on the cover of the book.

"I thought it was lost," Chin whispered. He touched the old leather. There were a hissing sound and tiny plumes of smoke rose from his fingertips, "Ouch! Damn it. What the fuck just happened?"

"It's cursed cuz. Our ancestors made sure that no evil spirit or demon can touch the grimoire. While we were talking, I remembered an ancient spell we could use to jog Danny's memories."

"Wait, what? No way. Don't you dare!" Steve snarled.

He had the full attention of his teammates.

"We are NOT messing with Danny's brain. First, we find out what turned him into a human floodlight. Hopefully without using magic. My ears are still ringing from the explosion, but also from the magic that is floating around. You guys must feel it too, don't you?"

Chin and Kono shook their heads.

"Excuse me, Steve," Danny chimed in, "It's still me you are talking about. I don't like if you refer to me in the third person when I'm around. It makes me feel uncomfortable. Kono is the only one in this room who's working on a solution for my little problem. Neither you nor Chin came up with anything helpful. I trust her enough to allow her to mess with my brain."

Steve closed his eyes briefly, counting to twenty. Losing it was the worst thing he could do right now. He put his hands on Danny's shoulders.

"I don't want to tell you what to do. Except ..."

"There we go, again," Danny gave a half-hearted sigh.

Steve ground his jaw before he kept on talking, "Except in your current condition. I will not allow anyone to use you as their personal guinea pig. Let alone the words ancient spell gives me the heebie-jeebies."

"I think Steve is right," Chin supported his friend. "Can we focus on the details, please? Steve, you were connected with the victim, right?"

Steve nodded.

"Okay. You said something felt off right from the beginning. Well, my guess this was a magical booby trap, and we jumped in head first."

"Hard to believe," Steve said, "How could he know I would choose the girl? I could've chosen any other victim. I don't think he's able to manipulate all bodies."

"He might not be able to do that," Danny cut him short, "But he made sure you choose her. She was the only one who's throat wasn't ripped out. You told me to check all of them. I know for sure there wasn't any other body you could use."

"Shit," Steve cursed, "I don't get it. I can sense the magic that is all around us, but I couldn't sense the shitty trap? How's that possible?"

Kono sighed, "The guy is pretty good, Steve. From my point of view, we totally underestimated him. While we thought we were playing him, he was playing us. Excellent job."

"Don't tell me you admire this ... whatever it is," Chin snapped.

"Don't worry, cuz. I don't, maybe a little, but no, no I don't." Her cheeks reddened.

Danny glared at her, "Could you please cut that crap, Kono? Before you turn into a drooling mess?"

"Yes, sorry. He dragged Steve out of his comfort zone, mildly spoken and defined the rules of the game. Before one of us knew what's going to happen, he tried to start the Apocalypse. I took some samples at the crime scene and made some tests. I know his weapon of choice. He uses fire, not any fire, but Hellfire."

"What?" Steve's voice got a notch higher as usual, "You gotta be kidding. Seriously?"

"Seriously, I know it for sure," Kono assured him.

Danny palmed his face, "Oh my. Why didn't I just turn into a fountain or a water hose or a fire extinguisher? It could've been so easy."

His friends smiled.

"Your weapon of choice is Angelfire," Kono kept on talking, "At least, that's what I would call it."

Steve crossed his arms over his chest, "I agree, it makes sense. That's the reason I was drained of my powers within no time."

"Wow," Danny said hoarsely, "Nephilim, Angelfire ... I must've have been a real BAMF in my former life. Why else would I deserve that?"

"Danny, it's a blessing, not a curse," Steve patted his friend's shoulder, "We help you to get along with it."

"Says the guy who's a Werewolf but has never fully transformed into one," the boy from Jersey deadpanned.

++++++++++

At the same time, two goons checked out the crypt where Steve returned from the dead. "I told you they were here," said the taller one. "They tried to cover their tracks, but our Master is powerful."

"Powerful? Yeah, you think so? Then why does he depend on us? He could do the dirty work by snapping his fingers. I was told. I don't see it. I don't feel it. All he does is putting on a helluva show, Jeb."

Jeb collared his partner and lifted him to eye-level, "Show a little respect, dumbass. Our Master is still weak from the journey. We have to make sure he gets what he needs."

"Yes, of course," the smaller one croaked, "I'm running out of air. Please."

Jeb boomed with laughter, "You whiny son of a bitch." He let go of him.

The smaller one staggered and fell to the ground. Before he got up, he discovered something on the ground, glittering dust. Fascinated he took a closer look and wanted to touch it.

Jeb pushed him aside harshly. "Don't touch it, brah. You get sick from it and die. Even our Master wouldn't bable to heal you.

The man on the ground gave Jeb a skeptical look, "Whatever. And how do you call it?"

"Angel's dust."

"Angel dust? Like the drug?"

Jeb shook his head, sighing. "Angel's dust. It's not a drug. Only Nephilim or their offspring carry it."

"In a little bag?"

"No, douche, they sweat. In very stressful situations their beads of sweat turn into Angel's dust. Simon, you're a genius. I think I just found a way to boost our Master's power without any ritual.

"How?"

"By killing the Nephilim."


	12. When The Lights Go Out

Danny sat on the couch in the living room. Kono fell asleep about an hour ago in the wing chair next to him on the left. She'd tried everything to find out more about Danny's abilities or get some info about his family background. Unfortunately, there wasn't much. It seemed the Nephilim did an excellent job in hiding their tracks. Of course, there were stories here and there but nothing substantial, nothing that could have helped Danny. 

Then they tried it with magic. It looked quite promising until they hit a barrier in Danny's mind. Someone apparently built a magical wand to protect certain memories. All he got was a splitting headache and at one point, he even passed out. 

Kono called it quits because she thought getting any further could probably cause some brain damage. So they stuck with the books while Steve and Chin followed a lead after one of the satellite's alarm had pinged like crazy. 

Kono couldn't tell how long she'd been asleep. However, when she woke up, the room was bathed in soft, warm light. She thought Danny had ignited candles. By taking a closer look, she discovered that the light came from Danny. Her jaw dropped, and she blinked because she thought she was still asleep. 

"Oh my God," she blurted out. 

Danny smirked, "Thanks. I'm flattered. Nevertheless, I prefer my first name." 

"No, I mean ..." 

Danny put the book aside and turned to facing her. The look she gave him made him worry. 

"Kono, you're okay? Can I get you anything a glass of water or something stronger?" 

Still gaping she shook her head then pointed at him, "Brah, you're glowing." 

He gave her a 'you-gotta-be-kidding-me' once over. 

"Seriously. Outside it's dark. The light, Danny, it is you." 

He laughed at her, "Nice try." 

"I swear it's the truth. Take a look at you." She said and sat upright in the chair. 

Danny gave a sigh but did as he was told and looked at his hands. His eyes widened in disbelief and the light that surrounded him flickered. 

"How did you do that?" Kono wanted to know. 

"I have no fucking clue. All I remember is that I thought I could use a little light in here." 

"So you did it on purpose," Kono stated excitedly. 

"Nope. Until you told me about it, I hadn't noticed a damn thing." 

Kono got up from the chair to sit next to him. 

Danny slightly panicked. "Careful Sis, I might set you on fire or could do other nasty things to you because I'm out of control." 

Kono laughed, "Don't worry, brah. You might be a bit freaky, but you're definitely not out of control. Try to switch off the light." 

He furrowed his brows, "And how in the world should I do that?" 

"Imagine pushing a switch or blowing out a candle," She suggested. 

"Oh yeah, and while doing so, I set the whole neighborhood on fire," He stated dryly. 

"I doubt that. You're not in fight mode. It's just you and me sitting here and doing research. There's no villain around and no threat." Kono reassured him. 

"So all I could do is starting a bonfire in the middle of the living room. Steve's going to kill me." 

Kono laughed at him, "Trust me. You can do that." 

"What? Make a bonfire or destroy the neighborhood." He quipped. 

"Danny, concentrate." She ordered. 

Danny closed his eyes just to open them, immediately, "I can't. My abilities scare the crap out of me." 

"I know. That's why I'm here to support you." She struck his back reassuringly. 

"Promise me not to laugh when I fail and to stop me when things are getting out of hand." He demanded. 

"Promised." 

Danny sat cross-legged on the floor, his hands resting in his lap. Palms turned up. He inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly. Danny felt the blood coursing through his veins and followed the trace of energy to his innermost. He found himself opposite a gigantic ball of light. 

"Suctus incendia." Danny thought. 

The room around him and Kono went dark. Slowly, he opened his eyes. 

"I can't believe it. It worked. It really worked." 

Kono nodded, "I'm very proud of you, Danny Williams." She gave him a big hug. "You just proved that you can control your powers. Now tell me, how did you do that? I'm curious." 

"I focused and used your spell to extinguish a fire, more or less." Sweat beaded on Danny's forehead. "I feel exhausted and at peace at the same time." 

Kono helped him to his feet and mumbled, "Incendia," to enlighten the candles on the coffee table. "Don't worry. The more you practice, the more your powers will become your second nature. You will feel less exhausted." 

Tired, Danny ran a hand over his face, "I could use a shower, and you could do me a favor and order some food. Whatever you want; I pay. That's the least I can do for you. Thank you." He gave her a peck on the forehead. 

"That's what friends are for," She said and watched him closing the bathroom door. 

~~~~~ 

Due to their inhuman speed, it took Steve and Chin about twenty minutes to get to the site. The GPS coordinates lead them to a dirt road several miles before they reached an old rundown shack. The air was filled with the stench of sulfur and blood. 

"Whatever went down here, we're too late." Steve deadpanned. 

Chin pushed the door open with his foot. The door hinges creaked loudly as it swung open. Steve coughed at little as the dust it had stirred up caught in his throat. They entered and found the remnants of a ritual from the night before. 

Chin took a closer look at the paraphernalia, "Amateurs." He stated the obvious. 

"Damned lucky amateurs," Steve added, "whatever they summoned; they succeeded. Fuck. The demon's presence is still lingering." 

"There's too much magic floating around the island," Chin mumbled. 

"I opened the damned portal. It's all my fault," Steve said, guilt-ridden. 

"Steve, don't go there. We've closed that portal. We're played, all together. Unfortunately, I think we weren't the only one who opened a portal into another dimension. Someone else did and is still sucking energy away." 

Steve gave him a questioning look. "Wow. What did I miss? When did you become a portal sniffer?" 

Chin huffed out a laugh, "My master; I mean the guy who turned me, used portals for inter-dimensional transfers of fresh meat." 

"You're talking about humans?" Steve asked. 

Chin shrugged, "more or less. Some of us have special needs." 

"Do I want to know the gory details?" Steve threw in. 

His friend laughed, "No. You don't." 

"Thanks," McGarrett said with a fat grin on his face and kept on searching the shack. 

An instant later the door exploded backward, was knocked off its hinges and bits of jagged wood, and debris flew through the air. Chin dove for cover behind a shattered wall, yelling, "Steve you're okay?" 

An angry roar filled the night. 

"I'm fine, but whoever is paying us a visit sounds more than pissed," Steve yelled back. 

"You have no right to cross our border," the voice was a deep growl. 

"Aren't you a little late? A bunch of people has already crossed your border in the last few days. Who cares about two more?" Steve left his cover. 

Chin rolled his eyes, "Did the horoscope tell you it's a good day to die or is there another reason for your death wish?" 

"I'm curious, and it's rude not to welcome a visitor." Steve quipped. 

The creature blocked the doorway. It was partly human, partly furry. By taking a closer look, Steve discovered the eyes of a reptile. 

"Eww, did you escape Dr. Moreau's island?" MacGarrett asked. 

The creature leaped at Steve. He'd sensed the attack and escaped the razor-sharp talons only by inches. The beast steered its head around and started another attack. Steve escaped again, but as a result, flinched and jumped back into the wall. The creature was right in front of him and started to shoot a steady, concentrated stream of acid out of its mouth at him. Steve darted around on the floor as if he was playing leap frog, to evade the creature's attacks. It worked until Steve got cornered. The beast opened its mouth for the final shot. Suddenly, it turned to ice then shattered into a thousand pieces right in front of Steve. He crouched down and covered himself with his arms crossed over his head. 

The creature was gone. The pieces of ice vanished. Steve put down his arms and blinked. Chin stood there. His hand stretched out. "Come on, get up. What a lousy performance." 

Steve took his friend's hand, still out of breath. "I know. I'm still dealing with the aftermaths of Danny's light show. What the fuck have you done?"

 Chin waved a hand, "I've used a cursed ice pick. I thought it could be useful to have some artifacts at hand." He winked at him. 

"You're full of surprised," Steve slurred. His head was swimming. 

When Chin helped Steve putting an arm around his shoulders to support him, he discovered that his friend had not come unharmed out of the fight. Two gaping wounds in Steve's side bore evidence of the creature's claws. 

Chin could see, from the way McGarrett clenched his jaw and the tightening of the muscles on his neck, the effort it took him to stay upright. With the additional weight on his shoulders and his friend's injuries, it was impossible to use their powers. He decided to call a good old cab. He promised the driver some extra money if he ignored all red lights. The scent of blood was constantly wafting into Chin's nostrils, the fire in his intestines overwhelmed his body. His fangs slid out. The pain ripped through his body, and his hunger tore him to pieces. Sweat beaded all over his body while he salivated and trembled as his mind fought his body's need. Steve would be an easy prey because he'd already lost consciousness.  


	13. The Voodoo Priest

Danny and Kono were leading a lively discussion about Nephilim and their abilities when suddenly Danny's eyes rolled back in his head, and the earth started shaking.  
  
"What the hell?" Kono hollered out and grabbed her friend's arm.  
  
He tilted his head to the side, "damn it. Steve's in grave danger. I have to …"  
  
Before Danny could finish the sentence he dematerialized in front of Kono in a ray of white light. She had to raise her arm to protect her eyes.  
  
The taxi driver slammed on the breaks when his car was engulfed in a sea of light, but it lasted only seconds, then the world around him went back to normal and thanks to the veil that protected the magic from the human eyes; he forgot about the incident.  
  
Back from where he just left, Danny yelled at Kono, "Take care of Steve." She pulled her severely injured friend away while the Nephilim held Chin captive in the searing light. As the Asian drank from Steve's blood, he's now turning into a full-fledged vampire. The transformation was a crucial process. The power that Danny inherited slowed it down but couldn't stop it. Puffs of smoke rose from Chin's body. He desperately tried to escape the light, screaming louder and louder, as his skin flaked off quickly. The flakes flared up then turned to ashes.  
  
"Stop it, Danny. You're going to kill Chin," Kono hollered out. Desperately, she looked at Steve, but he was still unconscious, meant no help from his side. Chin's transformation was almost completed. His head was bald; the hair was gone. His eyes were crimson red, his skin pale and his incisors were elongated. Chin's digits turned into long spidery fingers. He hissed like a cat and fought Danny's attempt to kill him. Drinking Steve's blood sent his superhuman strength into overdrive. He made a counterattack, swept Danny off his feet and hurled the Nephilim against the bookshelf that literally exploded on impact. Danny's light extinguished and Chin was gone.  
  
Kono was looking to and fro between Danny and Steve. She decided the latter needed her attention the most.  
  
A moan escaped Danny's throat.  
  
"You're okay?" Kono asked anxiously.  
  
"I feel like I got hit by a battleship. How's Steve?" Danny panted heavily.  
  
"Not good. I can't stop the bleeding. I tried everything, but it seems impossible. I can feel the life draining away from him. He bleeds faster than he heals." Kono was close to tears. They just lost Chin; they couldn't lose Steve too. "Don't you think you could heal him, Danny?"  
  
The Nephilim dragged himself to his feet and staggered toward Kono. She knelt on the floor next to Steve.  
  
Danny dropped to his knees next to her. "I'm scared as hell that I could hurt him. He's in no condition for some healing experiments."  
  
Their conversation was interrupted by a heavy knock at the front door.  
  
"Are you awaiting any visitors?" Danny whispered.  
  
Kono shook her head, "Not that I know of."  
  
The knocking grew louder, demanding, "Kono, let me in. I can help you guys. But I can't overcome your barriers. Gal, you did an excellent job on this one." A growling voice came from the other side of the door.  
  
Kono got up.  
  
Danny grabbed her by the hand, "Wait, who is this guy? Do you know him? It could be a trap or Chin who is …"  
  
"Don't worry; I know him. And I think he's the only one who could help Steve."  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
She nodded, "Positive." Then she went to open the door. A big black guy dressed in a suit, steampunk style, stood in front of her.  
  
"Papa Midnight, I mean Lou. It's good to see you. Please come in."  
  
Now their guest could enter the apartment without ending up as a marshmallow in another dimension. Kono closed the door behind him and reactivated the protection spell.  
  
Lou was already with Danny and Steve. He checked the unconscious man's vitals and took a closer look at his wounds.  
  
"This is damned serious," he stated dryly. "Angel, help me put him on the sofa," He said into Danny's direction.  
  
"I'm no angel," he protested.  
  
"Yeah, whatever. You're blond; I sense feathers, which will make me sneeze any moment. And there's glitter all around you. So either you're throwing a gay party, or you're an angel. Let's get McGarrett on the couch."  
  
Said and done. Lou opened the bag he'd brought along and began to prepare everything for a ritual. He asked Kono for some ingredients. Their names sounded odd to Danny, but she had everything in the little cupboard under the sink.  
  
"And what are you going to do? You're in for some nods to the gods, mumbling spells and Steve will be waking up and be fine?"  
  
"I can't do miracles," Lou said while he put all ingredients in a particular order into the big bronze bowl on the table.  
  
"You can't or you won't? That is my friend who is lying in front of you, and if you're gonna kill him, sneezing will be the least of your problems." Danny snapped.  
  
He felt Kono's hand on his shoulder, "Let Papa Midnight do his job. He's a good friend of Steve's father."  
  
"You gotta be kidding? Lou is a friend of the man who's responsible for the abomination Steve had become when he was still in his mother's womb?"  
  
"Your friend's not an abomination. He's a strong, powerful creature, a born leader. He's the only one of his kind." Lou mumbled, then he enlightened several candles by snapping his fingers. The same trick Kono did whenever she came home late at night.  
  
Papa Midnight indicated her, and Danny that he needed space. Both took some steps back.  
  
"You're sure he knows what he's doing?" Danny insisted.  
  
"The body of Steve's mother was preserved with Voodoo and so was he as an unborn child inside her womb. Voodoo might be the only chance he has."  
  
"How did Lou know that Steve was in trouble?"  
  
Kono shrugged, "I have no idea, have to ask him after he's done."  
  
"Guys, could you just zip it? That is serious shit we're dealing with. Angel, turn your lights down. You could affect the spell I'm working on Steve." Lou said, huffed out a sigh and shook his head.  
  
"The light?" Danny looked down at his body. A Christmas tree was nothing compared to him. "SHIT!"  
  
Kono stroked her friend's back, "Easy, Danny, easy. Breathe in, breathe out."  
  
"Sista, you're not making things any better. Please be quiet," Lou stated dryly.  
  
Somehow Danny managed to calm down; the room went dark except for the candles on the table. Their flickering light threw bizarre shadows on the walls. Wait, or were those shadows alive? For him and Kono it looked like these figures had a life of their own. Lou was sitting on the floor, chanting in an ancient language even Kono hadn't heard before.  
  
Danny felt the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. The whole room started spinning. It was all imagination. Lou's chanting grew louder. Steve's head jerked from one side to the other. His entire body was covered in sweat. Suddenly, his eyes shot wide open. He sat up and began chanting along with Lou. As the Voodoo priest had torn Steve's shirt from his body, earlier, Danny and Kono discovered the glyphs that covered their friends back. Both saw them for the first time. They must be invisible to the naked eye.  
  
Danny wanted nothing more than to take Steve into his arms and never let him go. He hoped Lou's spell worked and wouldn't do any further harm to his friend. At the same time, Danny was worried sick about Chin. Maybe Lou knew a cure for vampirism? In the back of his mind, the Nephilim was sure that this wasn't going to work. "Damn it, Chin, why have you done this to yourself?" He thought. He should have been with Steve, not Chin, then …  
  
A bloodcurdling scream broke the silence; it didn't come from Steve or Lou. Another entity joined them. It was a woman; she was completely translucent. Danny couldn't tell what she wore. It looked like a white silk dress that was streaming in the wind together with her red hair. She was a stunning beauty. Lou and Steve stopped chanting. Both had their attention on the ghostlike figure. She was talking to the two men. Unfortunately, neither Kono nor Danny could hear a sound. They watched Lou nodding. Steve didn't move. He looked like frozen in time and place. At least, the bleeding had stopped from what Danny could see.  
  
It felt like ages, but it was just minutes later when Lou and Steve started chanting, again. The figure faded. Steve lay back down on the couch, and Lou took the chicken out of the box. Box? Where the hell did it come from? Lou held the animal in one hand, then took a knife into the other. In one swift motion, he severed the head from the chicken's body. Outside Danny and Kono could hear loud thunder; a storm was approaching. No coincidence and a sign for how powerful Lou's magic was. Danny hoped the man would always play on their team. Papa Midnight held the chicken's twitching body over the bowl.  
  
The candles were extinguished by a breeze that came from out of nowhere. The room fell into complete darkness. Danny's eyes began to adjust, and he felt his pulse double when he strained to hear any sound at all. There was nothing to hear. A cold hand gripped his heart. He almost jumped when Lou muttered, "Angel babe, we could use some light in here." Outside the storm was in full swing.  
  
"Oh, yes, of course. Just a second," Danny said hastily. If he had a clue how to do it, he would've done it by now.  
  
"Can't find the switch?" Lou teased. Switch, good point. Danny remembered how he could use his imagination and seconds later the whole room was bathed in a soft, warm glow.  
  
He went over to Steve; the gaping wound was closed, but you could still see its outlines.  
  
Danny glanced at Lou, "Thank you for everything you did. I guess Steve wouldn't have made it without you. How did you even know he was in danger?"  
  
"Bad news travel fast, my feathered friend. As soon as the Dampier sank his fangs into Steve, a shitload of alarm bells went off in my condo. You can say about his father whatever you like. All he wanted to do was to save his son's life. He knew he couldn't do anything for Steve's mom, but he could at least protect the unborn child she carried. So, Voodoo came in handy. Wouldn't have you done the same thing for your daughter?"  
  
How could Lou know about Gracie? Shucks, it didn't matter. The man was a fucking powerful Voodoo priest.  
  
Danny nodded, slowly, "Forgive me for being rude. I'm kinda new to this whole mambo jumbo. Up to recently, I had no clue about my abilities. I thought I was just a human that had the coolest friends on the planet." He gave Lou a crooked smile.  
  
"My old bones could use a little help." Papa Midnight stretched his hand out; Danny took it and hauled the Voodoo priest to his feet.  
  
Next to them, Kono wrapped her arms around herself as she tried to ease the trembling that remained from her concern for Steve, and the shock of her realization about Chin.  
  
She looked at Lou, "You saved Steve but there's nothing you can do to bring Chin back, right?"  
  
Lou shook his head, "I'm sorry. I wished there was a cure for vampirism. I know many rumors are floating around, but this is nothing but false hopes. The moment Chin succumbed to his need; he was lost. He almost killed Steve because a vampire doesn't make any difference between friend and foe."  
  
Danny cleared his throat, "You mean; we have to finish him off, don't you? He's now on Team Badass. And we can't trust him any longer."  
  
"Unfortunately, yes," Lou confirmed Danny's worst nightmare, aside from the one in which he had to kill Steve because his lover had turned into a bloodthirsty, hairy beast.  
  
Kono sniveled; furtively she wiped the tears from her eyes.  
  
"I wonder what Steve's going to do. We all know how stubborn he can be," she said with a tearful voice, "I bet he will do whatever he can. Killing him is not going to be an option, for sure."  
  
Danny and Lou exchanged their glances, "I'm sure Papa Midnight, and I will figure something out, something that doesn't necessarily involve Steve. Anyone up for a beer?" The Nephilim was already on his way to the kitchen.  
  
"Thanks, but no thanks. Kono and I will have a glass of Sherry," Lou opened the bottle while Kono put two glasses on the coffee table. When Danny returned, they sat down at the table. Steve was still out, but the color had returned to his face, and his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm with each breath.


End file.
